Beast Moans is the first major release of Spencer Krug's latest project, Swan Lake. Krug is also the lead singer of two other bands, Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown.
Swan Lake also includes Dan Bejar (New Pornographers, Destroyer) and Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes), who might have been attracted to Krug because of his skills as a musician -- the man can shred an accordion -- and his allegedly porn-star-esque mustache, or "pornstache" as fans call it. Actually, Mercer knew Krug because they were in Frog Eyes together. But then Krug went on to do his own thing, recording Wolf Parade's debut album, which was produced by Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse).
Lyrically, Swan Lake's Beast Moans reflects Krug's ambitions. He generally enjoys singing about fires, no matter what band he's fronting. "They Took a Vote and Said No," which Krug penned for Sunset Rubdown, includes the lyrics "The fire burns / It burns to give / It has to burn / Alive / To live." Note the similarity to Swan Lake's "All Fires": "All fires have to burn alive / to live." As they say, write what you know.
Krug also employs repetition in his songs, which is fine, if the listener doesn't get sick of it. Swan Lake's "The Freedom" includes a chorus of "The freedom to be alone with the freedom / The freedom to be alone with the freedom / The freedom to be alone with the freedom / The freedom..." The above lyrical block is repeated at least three times, and the delivery is always the same. This repetition is not a good thing.
In contrast, when Krug sings "Are you swimming in her pools / are you swimming in her pools / are you swimming in her pools" in a song with the same title, it works. The instrumentation and differing vocal intonations carry the song. Instead of boring repetitions, Krug creates stuttering echoes, adding urgency and emotional substance to the song.
Despite Swan Lake's recycled verses, the Krug/Bejar combination succeeds. Bejer's voice, polished and harmonious, tempers Krug's vocal discordance. Even Bejar and Mercer's influence, however, cannot suppress Krug's characteristic and sometimes painful (for the uninitiated) vocal warble. The tracks with harsh Krug-inspired instrumental backings also sound strange behind Mercer's melodic voice.
Krug is rough around the edges, and no melodic New Pornographer is going to change him. The album is also a bit coarse with a few starts and stops, some maybe-on-purpose-maybe-not sounding guitar chords and the feeling that Krug, Mercer and Bejar are just messing around.
Beast Moans is not the most accessible album out there, but Krug is an acquired taste; for fans of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown Beast Moans is another solid Krug production.
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