Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer

Album Reviews • Friday July 3rd, 2009 • 9:34 am

Much has been made of Spencer Krug’s prolificacy and rightly so, considering that his involvement in Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, and Sunset Rubdown seemingly demands that he be on several tours at once while recording at least two different albums. While this intensive schedule does portend an imminent nervous collapse for Krug, he appears to be juggling these duties gracefully. The quality level has rarely dipped below well above average, and even his most slapdash efforts (ahem, Swan Lake) demonstrate a singular songwriting vision. What’s more, Krug involvement in these various successful indie rock bands allows him some artistic maneuverability. It’s always been a little difficult to tell for sure, but Krug appears to be attempting to weave some sort of elaborate tapestry by using and reusing lyrics from project to project. Perhaps it’s nothing so grandiose, but Krug’s relentless creativity seems to imply that he is taking the long view at his artistic career.

So yes, Sunset Rubdown’s newest goofily titled album, Dragonslayer, does feature a lot of recalled Krug lyrics and themes: His oft-used line “All fires have to burn alive to live” once again makes a somewhat altered appearance in “Nightingale/December Song.” “Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot! Toot!” from Sunset Rubdown’s previous opus, Random Spirit Lover, is re-imagined as the groovier (by Krug’s standards) and lighter “You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II).” “Paper Lace,” which previously appeared on Swan Lake’s Enemy Mine, shows up in barely altered form. Yet if all of this deliberate repetition from Krug is part of some complicated and roundabout storytelling process leading to some great big reveal, Dragonslayer ain’t it.

Well, at least not exactly. Dragonslayer is mostly a furthering of the elusive Krug mythology, but the album does offer something approaching closure. “Dragon’s Lair,” Dragonslayer’s ten-minute closer, sure seems to be a grand finale, but Krug is too stingy with his lore to make things that simple.

Sorry, Krug fans. I feel your pain, truly. There is something inherently frustrating about returning to an artist’s work again and again hoping the full thrust of the narrative will reveal itself, only to be thwarted at every turn (Krug’s listeners must deal with this several times a year), yet there is something gratifying about an artist who displays such confidence in his listener’s intelligence and resilience. Hell, I keep coming back to Lost no matter how scared I am that it won’t end satisfactorily, and Damon Lindelof didn’t even write “I’ll Believe In Anything.” Therefore, Krug gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

What’s more, in another admittedly strained parallel to Lost, Krug keeps giving us something to get excited about even if the big picture isn’t entirely clear. Dragonslayer combines the instantly rewarding hooks of Shut Up I Am Dreaming with the endlessly labyrinthine structures of Random Spirit Lover, and the results are Sunset Rubdown at their most fully charged. Though I’ve only discussed Krug so far, it can’t be overstated how invaluable each individual member has proven themselves to be, following Krug’s hairpin songwriting turns with supernatural ease. Dragonslayer is the sound of a band that has had their mettle sufficiently tested, and are ready to unleash their ferocity.

Fortunately, Krug seems willing to give his band mates the room to prove themselves. Furthermore, Krug himself sounds more confident and powerful than ever. The cracks in his voice are still there, and probably always will be, but the quaver that gave his earlier protagonists’ heartache such authenticity is considerably reduced. In the middle of the gorgeous yet restless “Silver Moons” Krug announces that he “believes in growing old with grace,” and he seems eager to back this sentiment up.

This may be way off base, but I’ve suspected that Krug’s characters are perpetually put upon and abused adolescents escaping into worlds of fantasy and mythology to help themselves deal with the harshness of their actual existences (think of the fantasy sequences in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures). If this is accurate, then Krug’s characters are getting increasingly bold, as are his methods of extolling them. Dragonslayer is a record far too tangled to qualify as fist-pump fodder, but it is inspiringly and uncommonly triumphant, more than earning the repeated listens it demands.