Spin (p.60) - Ranked #39 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[F]or indie rock that's obsessed with history, that decayed-reel production feels right."
Entertainment Weekly (No. 842, p.95) - "...APOLOGIES is the stuff fanzine dreams are made of..." - Grade: B+
Magnet (p.112) - "Wolf Parade hails from Montreal, courts a post-punk-informed sound, has a vocalist whose quirky tenor yelp recalls David Byrne and attained early buzz-band status on the strength of its energetic, emotional performances."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[I]t's a turbulent, ever mood-shifting listen - perhaps rather of its time....Engaging, inventive and emotionally charged..."
Wolf Parade: Dan Boeckner (vocals, guitar); Spencer Krug (vocals, piano, keyboards); Hadji Bakara (keyboards); Arlen Thompson (drums).
Recording information: Audible Alchemy, Portland, Oregon.
Produced primarily by Isaac Brock, Wolf Parade's full-length Sub Pop debut, APOLOGIES TO THE QUEEN MARY, initially garnered attention because of the Canadian quartet's associations with Brock's revered group, Modest Mouse. However, given the potent indie-rock punch that this 2005 outing packs, Wolf Parade easily stands on its own merits, particularly since the band benefits from two gifted singer/songwriters, Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug. On these 12 tracks, Boeckner and Krug's ragged, plaintive vocals careen over fierce guitar riffs, rambunctious rhythms, and buzzing keyboard lines, as some songs bristle with restless energy and others slip into hauntingly melancholy moments. Accolades for APOLOGIES started flying around months before the record's release, and Wolf Parade's bold, inventive performances here reveal exactly why the album warrants so much praise.