Chris DeLine

This past year has been a busy one for Dave Boeckner, an integral player in both Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. First came the release of Wolf Parade’s second full-length last summer; then a tour with his wife, Alexei Perry, in the Handsome Furs (one that brought the group to the Entry last August); and now the release of the Furs’ second album, Face Control, which dropped earlier this month. Indicative of the duo’s range, Boeckner’s guitar squeals on the album’s lead single, “I’m Confused,” while Perry layers the track, adding beat and depth with synth and a drum machine. Despite the fantastic waves that shift the album through droning rhythms and rapturous highs, it is perhaps their live dynamic that is the most enticing aspect of the duo. At times neglecting each other, at times harmoniously joined by some unseen spirit, they play as only a couple can. With the Cinnamon Band. 18+.

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]