Invisible Violence

Montreal’s We Are Wolves often sound like they’re about to burst apart at their crudely stitched seams, where vintage punk brawn meets electro-clash disco fun. Alex Ortiz’ sing-shouts like he’s desperate for a life raft, while grimy guitars and analog keyboards churn, pulse and grind out deep-bottomed rhythms. On the band’s third full length, however, Ortiz sounds a little more like a punk Ozzy -— desperation slightly sedated — and the trio have done a surface layer of cleaning, lightening the sound just enough to let the sharp angles gleam a little brighter.  The hard, rubbery bounce of “Blue” and the slicing, ‘70s guitars of “Paloma” and “Holding Hands” have a huge stickiness factor, and the crisp, gurgling synths of  “Bounty Waterfalls” and “La Rue Oblique” are a pleasant surprise. There's still plenty of post-punk, “gang of three” energy to grab hold of (“The Spectacle of Night” and “Vague” are rip-roaring stompers), but We Are Wolves continue to evolve. After all, breathing and some degree of contemplation are necessary for survival.