All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Stylus Magazine

They’ve cleaned up their grungy guitar lines (thank you Sub Pop), reworked a few of the best songs from their early EPs, and the result is undoubtedly the best contender for the Arcade Fire/Broken Social Scene-helm of 2005.

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Pitchfork

On paper this all could sound average, but Wolf Parade's true talent is transforming the everyday into the unprecedented.

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cokemachineglow

Each song is either a seismic death rattle or aftershock.

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Filter

If this record doesn't break in a major way, it will not only be a shock, it will be a damn shame. [#17, p.99]

Prefix Magazine

The Modest Mouse influence is apparent but in no way detrimental to Wolf Parade's sound.

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Lost At Sea

Constantly winning and resurging, not a moment of Apologies to the Queen Mary is lost to the chaos.

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PopMatters

What really distinguishes Apologies to the Queen Mary from just another ambitious rock album though, is the dynamic and accessible songwriting -- and the voices that propel those songs from the streets to the stratosphere.

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The Guardian

Magnificent, all told.

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Drawer B

Once all the influences roll off your tongue, however, you’ll find yourself speechless before the excitement this album will invariably instigate.

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No Ripcord

Wolf Parade is a great band, and while one will automatically think of Brock when they first hear You Are a Runner I Am My Father’s Son, (or any song featuring the first of the band’s two vocalists, Jason Krug,) many of the album’s strongest moments actually come when they more closely resemble other bands.

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Los Angeles Times

The music reinforces Wolf Parade's edge-of-desperation outlook by refusing to offer the comfort of conventional pop music's reassuring repetition. Even if some choruses recur during a song, the music behind them is never the same as the last time around. [23 Oct 2005]

Entertainment Weekly

Apologies is the stuff fanzine dreams are made of, and if it is very, very good without being spectacular, well, that's okay. [30 Sep 2005, p.95]

Neumu.net

From the first few seconds of the album, you're hooked.

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Alternative Press

All at once tragic, gorgeous and ugly in just the right ways. [Nov 2005, p.212]

Billboard

A fine, quirky entrance that hints at a band poised for bigger things down the road.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

Wolf Parade do what they do better than anyone in recent memory.

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Dusted Magazine

There's nothing of substance lacking in the least compelling moments of Queen Mary, and the mix of rousing wildness and reckless wisdom in its brightest points is at once inspiring, promising, and terrifically entertaining.

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All Music Guide

They'll change your life.

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Splendid

Apologies to the Queen Mary is almost an hour long, and there are certainly portions of it that aren't essential... but it's difficult to see where any fat could have been cut, as each track has its own fractured beauty.

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Paste Magazine

While Wolf Parade may be dark and spastic, its updates on indie formula... are undeniably impressive. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.140]

Under The Radar

Canucks, you've outdone yourselves again. [#11, p.113]

Dot Music

A hugely impressive debut.

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Magnet

By stepping around traditional rock instrumentation, the group is able to cover a lot of ground. [#69, p.112]

Junkmedia

Their sturdy, inventive debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, draws further, fresh blood from the indie rock stone.

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Almost Cool

They take their rough charm and run with it, continuing the giddy momentum they hinted at on [their self-titled] EP.

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Rolling Stone

Apologies To The Queen Mary is often unfocused, but it's plenty lovable.

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Q Magazine

One to watch. [Jan 2006, p.128]

Uncut

Frequently appealing. [Nov 2005, p.103]

New Musical Express

Sounds as if it were recorded on one perfectly wasted afternoon. [22 Oct 2005, p.43]

Mojo

Engaging, inventive and emotionally charged. [Nov 2005, p.96]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Apologies To The Queen Mary can be a little messy and unwieldy, but Wolf Parade's willingness to overreach charges songs like "We Built Another World" with real meaning, and palpable hope.

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ShakingThrough.net

Apologies to the Queen Mary gets by more on energy than chops.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 139 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Justin B. gave it a10:
It's crazy that is isn't even good enough to be in 2005's top 30. this album is simply breathtaking and great.

Hollis G. gave it a9:
So close to a 10. This is one album that has remained in CONSTANT rotation for me over the past 2 years. Unlike some of the negative reviewers on here, I really like that Wolf Parade has two different song writers with very different styles; I think it adds to the sound and makes the album more exciting. My only criticism is that there are a couple songs on here that I skip every time, their inadequacy all the more apparent next to some of the great music on this record.

Eric C gave it a10:
Easily one of my all-time favorite cd's. You Are A Runner, Hungry Ghosts, and Shine A Light are my favorite songs of the year. Every time I take this cd out of my stereo, it only finds its ways back a few days later. I found out some people don't like the vocals, and I just insult those people in the best way I can think of. Everything this band does is amazing. They better roll out another cd soon.

Marek V gave it a10:
They really come with a new impresive sound!

gray rabbit gave it a9:
I just purchased tickets to see Wolf Parade at Kraftbrau in Kalamazoo, and I thought I'd check Metacritic to see if there was a new release that I didn't know about. Then, as usual, I wandered down to the user reviews for this album. My two cents worth is that this is one of the top five albums that I heard in 2005, and for what it's worth I listen to a rather wide variety of rock, pop, folk, classical and hip-hop music. I'm no musical scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but this is a very satisfying CD. I'll Believe In Anything didn't hook me like it did many reviewers, but this album doesn't have a weak moment in my mind. It is strong throughout and Modern World, Dear Sons and Daughters... and especially Shine A Light blew me away.

o gave it a10:
Not one of the thirty best albums of 2005? You're crazy or you didn't bother to listen to it a second time. These guys are the goods, their live show wrecked anything else I saw come through nyc, no mistake, this is one of the very best of 2005.

mr. hankey gave it an8:
Was it one of the best of 2005?.... Yes, it was because of the nurturing indie rock songs and then the pounding of the drums beating along with a large thud. Wolf Parade is Canada's latest and greatest thing to come out since Stars or Arcade Fire. It is beautiful lyrically in some songs even though the lyrics may not make as much sense you can feel that they wanted to make sure the lyrics represented their personality in some way. Apologies to the Queen Mary had many high points that were really a foundation for the album. The album really balances itself when it comes out with the music for instance the first few songs are good and then it starts to become average then after that around the middle of the album everything is nearly perfect. It amazes me how they can come up with such melodies and sound as if they were just creating their own mess. Wolf Parade is a huge success and deserves all the good reviews it can get. Modest Mouse may have sort of sold out ( not really ) but Wolf Parade doesn't in my opinion resemble them at all and that is one of their highest qualities.

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