March 27, 2010

The Besnard Lakes amp up the energy with a more guitar-driven approach on third album "The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night." But this added vigor doesn't distract from the rock band's more familiar fare of gentle vocal deliveries and downplayed drums. "Like the Ocean, Like the Innocent Pt. 2: The Innocent" represents this balance well—distorted power chords and grungy levels of feedback don't overpower the soft vocals. The shoegaze-sounding guitars that make up the foundation of "Glass Printer" build around a powerful walking bassline, while "Light Up the Night" includes a wailing guitar solo that would make Queen guitarist Brian May jealous. But too much of a good thing can be tedious—lead single "Albatross" could benefit from less reverb and cloudy distortion. However, turning up the amps has definitely sent the Besnard Lakes into a more user-friendly direction.—Erin Clendaniel

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