Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer

Label: Jagjaguwar

Spencer Krug’s skill as a pop songwriter includes the ability to filter by project: his work in Sunset Rubdown doesn’t sound like the songs he brings to Wolf Parade, and neither sounds exactly like his contributions to Swan Lake, his collaboration with Dan Bejar (of Destroyer) and Carey Mercer. Sunset Rubdown’s music has also evolved since their 2005 debut, Snake’s Got a Leg: the epic title Dragonslayer turns out to be of a piece with its clearly defined guitars and widescreen choruses (particularly on “Idiot Heart”). It’s a change from the more intimate tone of the band’s previous work, though Krug’s surreal lyrical imagery (there’s an academic essay waiting to be written on his mentions of horses) abounds, and these songs will disorient even as they inspire anthemic responses. (Toby)