Sunset Rubdown

In the last five years, Montreal's Spencer Krug has released around two-and-a-half albums a year via projects like Wolf Parade, Swan Lake and his main gig: Sunset Rubdown. More impressive than the quantity of music is the quality of material Krug continues to produce. Dragonslayer, Sunset Rubdown's fourth full-length, maintains high expectations, as the band record sans overdubs, completing the transformation from "Krug's project" to "actual band." Opener "Silver Moons" demonstrates this skilfully, as percussionist Camilla Wynne Ingr duets with Krug, giving his music some much needed feminine mystique. On "Idiot Heart," Krug's trademark guitar howl finally comes to terms with his brand name yelp, presenting the song with enough substance that it comes off sounding epic in a mere six minutes. Krug may or may not be referring to himself on "Black Swan," as he pumps out a melodious but disharmonious anti-composition unlike anything his Swan Lake comrades have yet to attempt. Dragonslayer may be Krug's finest moment, proof that spreading yourself thin is just another way to move forward.