The Besnard Lakes – …Are The Roaring Night

Canadian Husband and Wife led collective The Besnard Lakes return with a dense, cinematic and dark new album recorded on equipment rumoured to have been used by Led Zeppelin on their Physical Graffiti sessions. It's a welcome return too, their previous effort ...Are The Dark Horse was full of brooding, emotive delights for those that discovered it, but slipped under the radar to a large extent. Well, The Lakes have sought to remedy this by deciding that modesty is no longer the way forward; no more 'The Dark Horse'; they return with all guns blazing on a frequently colossal sounding record that finds itself in ownership of a most apt title.Indeed, from the off, everything sounds fairly massive. There are moments that hint at classic rock and prog in terms of the lyrical themes of mistrust and deception ”“ the press release even talks of a secret war! Sure, it's unashamedly ambitious and it may seem like the band have set out to make the biggest, most intense record they could, but these moments of thunderous power are always met with a beauty and grace that means that, as a whole, the record is a resounding success. Take the closing moments of 'Chicago Train' that shimmer and evoke countless waves of regret and emotion whilst a juggernaut of a coda plays out.This is followed by 'Albatross' where Olga Goreas takes lead vocals in what is a sultry highlight. The guitar noise flies around beyond her voice and it's the battle between the power of the music and the gorgeous fragility of her voice which makes the likelihood of an explosion so thrilling. By the end you're willing the waves of noise to crash down on yourself as she sings “And I scream for you/there goes my man”.'Glass Printer' is dirgier and reminiscent of BRMC in its filthy bass. The reliance on groove has a hypnotic nature that's lulls you into a daze. Jack Lasek's falsetto means it's rare that you hear more than a snatch of the lyrics on any track and it's more important that the voices work as an instrument itself, revealing parts of a narrative piecemeal before yet another euphorically beautiful and bruised instrumental swathe takes hold.There are not one but two, multi-part suites that provide standout moments on The Roaring Night. The opening world's end atmospherics of 'Like The Ocean; Like The Innocent' segue into a more introspective string led second half, and 'Land of The Living Skies' finds Goreas on lead vocals, controlled and able to find a moment for retrospect as the noise explodes around her; “I'll be sitting on that beach/thinking of what's happened today”.There's been much mention of the sheer power and noise that dominates this album, but it is worth saying that it rarely descends into hollow bombast. Sure it may take a couple of listens to get to grips with the guitar solos, but this is an impeccably produced piece with true dynamic range (remember that?). You can really feel the power and bass when the tracks go from flute led intrigue into full on detonations of guitar and drums. The best advice is to simply turn it up loud and let it wash over you in one roaring night.