The Besnard Lakes: Are the Dark Horse

Label: Jagjaguwar

We don’t always get things right at Sound Fix, but when we predicted back in the spring that this would be one of the sleeper hits of the year, boy, were we right. A terrific mix of shoegaze, post-rock and indie pop, the second album from Montreal’s Besnard Lakes creeps up on you suddenly, its first two tracks awash in strings and soothing, Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and then … bang. The third track, an eight-minute epic of soaring guitars and spaced-out jams, brings to mind everyone from My Morning Jacket to 70s-era Pink Floyd. Not an easy song to follow, but with “Devastations,” Besnard Lakes manage to top themselves, as vocalist Olga Goreas delivers a volcanic turn amid a fury of guitars and drums. The album is wonderfully eclectic; Besnard Lakes bring a broad palette of styles to the table – from classic psych to West coast pop to raw British-invasion rock – while crafting a sound all their own. Always shifting, always changing, The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse is a gorgeous tapestry of sounds, reminiscent of Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People in its sheer exuberance. Now that we got one prediction right, let’s make another: the Besnard Lakes will go on to big things. (James)