We Are Wolves, Invisible Violence
Reviewed by: Christian Hagen
Invisible Violence, the third full-length from Montreal indie synth punks We Are Wolves, opens with a song that sounds like Black Sabbath covered by The Hives. “Paloma” is raucous, multilingual, punchy, and exciting. From this first impression alone, We Are Wolves sound poised to be the dance-punk band of the moment, to lay siege to the feet and ears of the hipster crowd while they headbang until their necks are holding nothing but air.
By the end of the second track, “Holding Hands,” the party may have already gone on too long.
We Are Wolves showcase a significant energy. Their sound bears pieces of some of the last decade’s best techno-conscious rockers; TV on the Radio, Wolf Parade, Tokyo Police Club, Menomena, and The Rapture are all present to some degree. And We Are Wolves share in some of the success of these other bands, in that they’re likely to get a crowd moving while subverting them with an appreciation for post-modern art and self-aware noisiness.
But We Are Wolves suffer from an overabundance of in-your-face push and a lack of solid songwriting. “Blue” and “The Spectacle of the Night” are the album’s other sure highlights because, like “Paloma,” it seems to promise at something just beyond the band’s current reach. Every idea feels over-explored; these are songs that could shoot for two minutes and be solid, and instead they shoot for four or more minutes and disappoint.
At times great and fun, at times headache-inducing, Invisible Violence is an example of a band that seems to be in progress. Either they’ll figure out the indie-dance-punk formula for success or fall into the pitfalls of indulgence and squalor. Unfortunately, there are no answers here.
Rating: 59%
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This review was based on a press-released copy of the album sent to AudioSuede for the purpose of review