Pitchfork

Smart publicists might keep form-bios handy for cases like Le Loup. File under Folk; Freak: "[BAND NAME] is the brainchild of [BEDROOM AUTEUR WHO RECRUITED BAND TO PLAY HIS SPOOKY JOINTS], a resident of [URBAN ENCLAVE] who recorded a bunch of off-kilter songs on a cheap computer, using [INSTRUMENT], [INSTRUMENT], and banjos, and wound up blending influences like [WEIRD DRUNK GUY] and [WEIRD BEARDY GUY] into something uniquely his own." (For the record, the answers are Le Loup, Sam Simkoff, Washington D.C., guitar, French horn, Isaac Brock, and Devendra Banhart.) Nevertheless, the excellent pacing of "le loup (fear not)" makes it more than just another freak-folk song. This isn't apparent at first, but the ideally paced introduction of thumping drums, horn accents, monkish harmonies, and a spunky indie rock shine near the end elevates this song well above new weird Americana's often murky waters.