Sunset Rubdown

It used to be easier to call Sunset Rubdown a side project—something that frontman Spencer Krug fooled around on when he wasn’t touring the world with Wolf Parade or collaborating with Destroyer and Frog Eyes. 2007’s Random Spirit Lover made that conclusion less satisfying, and the new Dragonslayer threatens to derail it completely. Although Krug’s voice—a howl that teeters on the edge of desperation—is too singular to avoid mentions of Wolf Parade, Dragonslayer’s gorgeous melodies and intricate (if occasionally labyrinthine) song structures might make Sunset Rubdown the ultimate point of comparison.

Updated 10/15/2009