While you may not know him by name, you’re probably familiar with Dan Boeckner’s more than impressive résumé. From co-fronting Wolf Parade to his time with Spoon frontman Daniel Britt in The Divine Fits to his electronic project Handsome Furs, his hand his been in a lot of pies, but never as a solo artist. Only recently, someone from his label suggested that because he has such a great back catalogue of songs that he should just put together a group under his own name and play pieces from across his discography. The idea resonated with Dan, but rather than being a “best of” group, Dan released a new album before embarking on tour under the monicker of Boeckner. 

Boeckner! is a dynamic combination of both the garage rock and electronic elements Dan has been known for in his various projects, but this is the first time he has brought them both under one roof. His debut single, “Lose” comes out of the gate blasting with pulsing offbeat keyboard chords and the energetic drumming of Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron. The song’s big hook is played on a synthesizer that doesn’t match the tuning of anything else in the song. On my first listen it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. It made me feel like I was going to vomit, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s the least conventional way to grab someone’s attention, but somehow it worked brilliantly. 

Something about the collection feels vaguely Cyberpunk. The meshing of '80s synths with modern rock drumming, textural guitar lines, and moody lyrics allow these songs to feel like they could exist in a twisted realities radio. The ambiance, tuned static, and sense of space in tracks like “Euphoria” and “Return to Life” could easily fit into the GTA VI soundtrack if GTA VI was ever actually going to come out.