One listen to Moonface instantly identifies it as a Spencer Krug project—Krug’s voice (usually landing somewhere between a yodel and a yelp) and his love of opaque lyrics are unmistakable. Known best for his work with Wolf Parade, Krug has powerful hooks and riffs oozing out of his ears, and a seemingly endless number of bands as outlets for his song writing.
While he is undeniably talented and prolific, he is not always able to translate his ideas into great songs: in Wolf Parade he can be hit or miss (early, a lot of hitting; later, a lot of missing); in Sunset Rubdown, he sometimes packs so many different parts into his songs that he undercuts his own brilliance.
Moonface currently only has six songs, which tend to be lengthy, built around spinning organs and drum machines, unfurling slowly along with Krug’s inimitable howling. Krug has constructed several of his best tunes in other bands with scorching guitar riffs, but like former band-mate Dan Boeckner, he now seems disillusioned with guitar sounds, and Moonface relies only on keys and a vigorous xylophone/drum player.
The show at Black Cat last Thursday had bits and pieces of excellence. Songs followed a standard formula: Krug sang for half a song, then spent several minutes riffing furiously on the keyboard and organ. These late instrumental passages were occasionally riveting, organ notes bleeding into each other, alternating between staccato riffs and flowing embellishments. “The Way You Wish You Could Live In The Storm” ended with stunning organ passages that sounded like prayer music for some robotic groove religion. Krug’s right hand worked the keyboards feverishly, locking two riffs tightly together even as they twisted apart.
In contrast, “Fast Peter”—a refreshingly simple song for Krug, whose lyrics can sometimes be a little much—had a lovely first half before it descended into aimless noodling. Krug finished his set with a cover of “All Fires,” a song from another one of his side projects, Swan Lake. On recording, “All Fires” is a strummed ballad; on stage Krug transformed it into a massive, stomping anthem. Krug is only intermittently great, but his high moments usually make his indulgences worth tolerating.
