Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Handsome Furs
Plague Park
Sub Pop Records
Grade: A-

Since Sub Pop is becoming more and more the designated label to release side projects of their most fantastic groups (witness Dntel and Postal Service), here comes the fantastic side project of Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade – Handsome Furs. In this endeavor, Boeckner is joined by fellow Montreal resident, writer Alexei Perry (and fiancée). As if Wolf Parade jettisoned all of their songs for slow-to-moderate tempo, heavy synth-influenced indie anthems, so are the nine songs on Plague Park. Utilizing a very basic set up of guitars, keyboards, and simple drums (mostly via drum machine), Boeckner adds his Springsteen-like throat to such tremendously gorgeous gems as “Hearts of Iron,” “Handsome Furs Hate This City,” “Cannot Get Started,” and “Dead + Rural.” Anyone of those songs would be standout numbers on a Wolf Parade album – and that says a lot. With a basic comparison to the other notable Wolf Parade side project – Sunset Rubdown – it is clear that Boeckner adds a substantial part of the magic that makes up WP. You can easily fool your friends that Plague Park is the new Wolf Parade record; and thus it serves as strong fix to your WP jonesing. Yes!!!