At first glance, it seems quite unnecessary to praise yet again the musical renovation taking place in the “there’s-something-in-the-water” cities of urban Canada. Adding to the list of dynamic, emotional sounds echoing down to the States is Wolf Parade, a group of seemingly starved yet disciplined musicians ready to tear through any competing fire or sodomizing film strip in their path. Apologies to the Queen Mary portrays a wide variety of densely structured tempos and progressions that made me howl at the end of every short-stricken track. Then again, I have faith that Apologies is only a tease they will swiftly surpass on the second date. The highlight of the album is (quite admirably) its entire first half, as each track begins with a different instrument only to build into an eventual synthetic explosion of noise and thunder by the time of its demise.

While their country’s now-realized fate of becoming a media-frenzied “scene” will surely die off, these predators should remain fierce enough to pass up any hand-fed scraps in anticipation of finer treats ahead.