XLR8R

If you come to The Besnard Lakes by way of their earlier homespun, lo-fi shoegaze suites, the eyebrow-lifting 45 minutes of Are the Dark Horse-with its incessant falsetto, Spacemen 3 sonics, and Beach Boys-ian production-is nothing short of shocking. Squealing synthesizers, cascading crescendos of guitars, sappy string sections, and infinite layers of vocals manage to look both forward and back by combining the spooky ethereality of '50s rock and the baggily loved-up psychedelia of the '90s. Always keep your eye on the dark horse.