TROUBLE is a strange thing. If an album were an animal this would be a nocturnal beast, ornery and difficult under the blinding brightness of day. Listen to this album in the morning, and you may well be underwhelmed. When night falls however, Canadian Woodpigeon’s latest, less-tuneful-than-usual affair suddenly starts to make sense, no longer sounding like a disparate mishmash of indie and Avalon-era Roxy Music, but instead transposed into a soundtrack for those lonesome nights.
Musically, TROUBLE grows more assured as it goes on, as if darkness is folding in on itself like the creeping tendrils of Japanese plants which loom from its front cover. “Don’t be faithful if you’re not,” he sings on Faithful, over guitars like raindrops, and you just know it’s personal. Sovkino meanwhile, builds from timorous minor key pianos and staccato bass to a brilliant, swooning, heartbroken pop chorus. Unusual song structures abound and if you like your indie music varied – Camera Obscura, kraut-rock and Roy Orbison are just a few of the references that spring to mind – then you’ll love it. Just make sure you wait ’til the sun goes down.
