Enemy Mine

Easy math even I can do: two gigantic heads are better than one, three certainly better than two, and so on and so forth. But when you're talking about records by supergroups, that logic doesn't always hold. Projects run the risk of being trampled by big feet and bigger egos. Avoiding these pitfalls is Swan Lake, that three-headed dragon comprised of left-field Canadian indie rockers Dan Bejar (of Destroyer and the New Pornographers), Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, and Sunset Rubdown) and Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes, Blackout Beach). As vocalists, they range from downcast warble to abrasive yelp; as writers, they're known for cryptic, densely allusive songs that twist and slither into unexpected places. The phrase "acquired taste" comes to mind. But their 2006 debut Beast Moans was muscular and melodic and dizzying in all the right places; when the three crashed into each other on tape it made for a satisfying "Kablaam!" that reflected the weight of their pedigree and differing gifts.