Enemy Mine

The second LP from Canadian supergroup Swan Lake (composed of Dan Bejar, Spencer Krug, and Cary Mercer, whose credentials encompass New Pornographers, Destroyer, Wolf Parade, and Frog Eyes) continues their melodramatic convergence of lyrical acuity and fractured pop. On "Spanish Gold, 2004," hints of post-glam David Bowie are omnipresent, while "Spider" can't help but evoke the post-punk drama of late-'80s Nick Cave. And the penultimate track, "A Hand At Dusk," is a spare, dark ballad that hinges on mourning piano and distanced percussion. ENEMY MINE (so named after the goofy sci-fi flick of the same name) is ultimately a work of sublime paranoia, with its three songwriters/performers evoking a strange beauty amidst untold layers of unapologetic misanthropy.