Chris DeLine

There’s an unusually rich pool of talented and critically fawned-over bands that have originated in Montreal over the past decade, usually with a single degree of separation between them due to their heavy cross-pollination of band members. Call him the Francophonic Kevin Bacon: At the center of things is multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Spencer Krug. Aside from splitting the leadership role in Wolf Parade with Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs), Krug’s main vessel the past few years has become Sunset Rubdown. In addition to recently releasing the lyrically complex Dragonslayer, the band has also arguably become the most complete outlet for Krug. The band harnesses a musical density that gives its songs an immovable backbone of sound—especially in comparison to other past and present projects of Krug’s, including Frog Eyes and the venerable supergroup Swan Lake. Which is apparent on Dragonslayer, a record that has already been heralded as one of the best of the year and awarded a 10/10 by the U.K.’s Drowned in Sound. With Elfin Saddle and Witchies. 

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]