It’s unclear whether the title of the Besnard Lakes’ lead single refers to the Montreal quartets unorthodox decision to force front-man Jace Lasek to walk around Breakglass Studios with a dead albatross around his neck as penance for being extra-nice with a crossbow, or whether it alludes to the curse of being the best band in Canada that no American off the Internet cares about. Either way, “Albatross,” builds on the promise the band flashed in 2007 with their outstanding The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse and a live show so explosive and spell-binding that it drew 20 people to the Troubadour. No band around does the loud-soft dynamic better than The Besnards whose mood swings shift from gentle Fleetwood Mac melodies to drum and guitar violence like they had a coke problem worthy of Stevie Nicks.

They also have a spy fixation, which will supposedly manifest itself in the new album being “a twisting chronicle of spies, double agents, novelists and aspiring rock gods turned violent. Loyalty, dishonor, love, and hatred are all seen through the eyes of two spies, communicating through short wave in code and fighting a war that may or may not be real.” So basically, Windtalkers soundtracked by Canadians in cowboy shirts. I’m down.

Download:
MP3: The Besnard Lakers – “Albatross”