Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

The third album under the side project, Sunset Rubdown, finds Spencer Krug (Wolfparade. Swan Lake & Frog Eyes) settled and confident within the chaotic creature that is Sunset Rubdown. His first two pieces, Snake's Got a Leg and Shut Up I'm Dreaming, were beautifully raw much like Wolfparade's Apologies to the Queen Marry. The difference between Wolfparade and Sunset Rubdown lays, if anything, in Spencer Krug's love for a piano and experimentation. Sunset Rubdown is Spencer Krug stripped down. We can see this in the simple but beautiful truth in his songs, such as the 59 second treasure The Dust You Kick Up Is Too Fine.

On the third album, Spencer Krug writes with a confidence not seen in his previous engagements. The first thing that pops out at you is the fact the album, Random Spirit Lover, is one full piece of artwork as each song bleeds into the next. The piece as a whole is breathtaking and should be listened to fully through. True there are certain songs that jump out, such as the carnival-esque Up on your Leopard, Upon the End of your Feral Days, the homeric Winged/Wicked Things, and head-bobbing For the Pier (and Dead Shimmering).

Like AC, Spencer Krug relies on building off skew sounds and using his voice as an instrument. The song Up on your Leopard opens up with a growing beat that sinks into grand, grotesque carnival theme. Spencer Krug blares out the lyrics as he becomes the ringmaster of the circus. In his other song Winged/Wicked Things we see his control of the chaos. Spencer Krug croons as he wrestles with understanding...

"And the pattern of flight is chaotic and blind. But it's right cause chaos is yours and it's mine. And chaos is luck and like love and love is blind. The pattern of flight is chaotic and blind. But it's right cause chaos is yours and chaos is mine mine mine mine. And chaos is love and they say love is blind"

Beautiful. Thank you Spencer Krug for delivering something that will be topping many of 2007's best album lists.

Sunset Rubdown - Up on your Leopard, Upon the End of your Feral Days
Sunset Rubdown - Winged/Wicked Things
Sunset Rubdown - For the Pier (and Dead Shimmering)

P.S. - Thank you to Thomas Francis Take his Chances for getting me both A C's new effort along with Sunset Rubdown's. The Kenney's are brilliant holy warriors hah.