Review: Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

Right from the release of the album’s title track, it was crystal clear that Brooklyn “slackers”, Parquet Courts, were going to deliver on the follow up to their commendable debut Light up Gold. With chaotic guitars, brash percussion and signature motor-mouthed vocals from frontman, Andy Savage; the album’s first single certainly was not worlds apart from where they left off with that incredible debut. Sunbathing Animal, as a whole, is simply another nod at Parquet Courts’ best attribute; their undeniable grit. Grit that the majority of upcoming bands, like themselves, lack.

Throughout the course of the LP, we are bombarded with repetitive, jerky guitars and droning vocals, telling of impoverishment and the ‘hard knock’ nature of New York City. Although darker subject matter does arise; take “bodies made of slugs ‘n’ guts” as a prime example, or is it “sluts and guts?” It’s hard to tell, but both tell an undeniably dark tale.

Parquet Courts haven’t attempted to do anything fancy or out of their comfort zone on this record which has undoubtedly worked in their favour. However, ‘Instant Disassembly’ does present a more laid-back, semi-anthemic feel to the band’s sound, especially apparent as they repeat, in unison, the words “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, it’s hard to inhale,” until the track fades out after a whopping seven minutes. This track beholds a certain sing-a-long-able charm that will assuredly go down well on this year’s festival circuit.

You could say Parquet Courts’ instrumentally dense sound is an acquired taste, but Sunbathing Animal just goes to show their consistency as songwriters, and for those of you who loved Light up Gold, get ready to love their second LP just as much, if not more.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Album of the Week: The Horrors - Luminous

image: allmusic.com

The Horror's highly anticipated fourth album has finally landed and it's safe to say the Southend-on-Sea quintet are sounding bigger than ever. With tracks that have dominated airwaves for several weeks such as 'I See You' and 'So Now You Know' to go by, it was pretty obvious that they'd be taking it up a notch with their fourth LP to date; a wondrous concoction of the gothic sensibilities of their debut 'Strange House' and the shoegazing majesty of 'Primary Colours' and 'Skying.'

Stand out tracks would have to be previously mentioned 'So Now You Know' and 'I See You' alongside 'Mine and Yours,'  'In and Out of Sight' and 'Chasing Shadows.'

I wrote a full review of 'Luminous' for Post Music Depression. Read it here.

Track of the Week: The 1975 - 'Robbers'

image: thelineofbestfit.com

The 1975 are like marmite- you either love them or you hate them. Anyone who knows me well enough will be fully aware that the Wilmslow four piece are a band extremely close to my heart, having been a fan since the days of them playing under the pseudonym of Bigsleep, and so I find it ridiculously unimaginable how anyone could dislike their witty yet gritty lyrics and unbelievably catchy hooks.

'Robbers,' which was written way back in 2008, is the most recent release from the band's eponymous debut album and they've only gone and made one of the best videos I've ever seen to accompany the track that has become somewhat a cult 1975 fan favourite over the years.

Anyone who has seen The 1975 live before will be aware that 'Robbers' is a love song, given the fact that frontman Matty almost always introduces it with a clichéd "this next one's a love song" speech. However, upon the release of its brand new video, Matty has revealed that the song in question was "inspired by [his] love of the Quentin Tarantino film 'True Romance.'" This not only made me love the track even more, seeing as True Romance is one of my favourite films of all time, but it also allowed me to gain a whole new understanding of the lyrics, which continue to stick out as one of the bands most appealing attributes.

The video sees a modern take on the classic Tarantino film with scenes outrightly replicating it- take the cinema scene for instance, or even Matty's floral shirt and his partner-in-crime's leopard print get up. Although, the fundamental narrative of the video is essentially an armed heist that inevitably goes wrong, as expressed within the lyrics.

So perhaps the track's title was slightly more literal than we presumed, however, this does not take away from the thoughtful nature of the lyrics and the emotionally rife manner in which Matty sings them. Whether you like The 1975 or not, this track is without a doubt one of their best yet and the video most certainly does it justice.

Watch the video for 'Robbers' below.

Review: Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

Undoubtedly, Damon Albarn is one of the most influential figures in modern music. A Britpop pioneer; who paved the way for a list of bands as long as my arm, a musical innovator and collaborator; as proved by his work with Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad and The Queen, and now a solo artist whose song writing capabilities, much like a fine cheese or a leather jacket, have seemingly got better with age.

Lyrically, the entire LP centres on a sort of autobiographical reflection of Albarn’s 46 years. Whether it’s his childhood spent in Leytonstone, the heat wave of 1976, ‘Hollow Ponds’, or his encounters with baby elephants in Tanzania, ‘Mr Tembo’), almost every aspect receives an in-depth analysis on the album in question.

The album’s title track introduces another recurring theme throughout Everyday Robots; the idea that technology is swiftly taking over our lives. Maybe Albarn is simply showing his age, but with lyrics evoking ideas of our obligation to document even the most trivial aspects of our daily lives on social networking sites, we can only be left to cerebrate “he’s got a point”. ‘Hostiles’ reiterates this idea of technological oppression with imagery of the hostility, surprisingly, and passive aggressive nature of video gaming; whereas ‘Lonely Press Play’ explores similar issues concerning our reliance on virtual symbols in our everyday lives, as expressed in the title.

The overall sound we’re presented with on Everyday Robots remains minimal and understated throughout the entire album. However, spells of excitement do occur from time to time. Take the unusual ongoing violin riff of the title track for example, or the atypical introductory guitar and sombre vocals of ‘The History of a Cheating Heart’. The album’s lack of melody is made up for on ‘Heavy Seas of Love’ which takes a more anthemic turn from previous tracks on the record as a result of its uplifting piano and climactic choric vocals.

So from the Britpop days of Blur to a long-awaited solo album, Damon Albarn has assuredly proved to be a jack-of-all-trades. It’s safe to say that back when Blur burst out of London in 1991, nobody would have expected an output quite like this, but then again it’s certainly not the first time he’s gone out of his way to prove that he is a master of the unexpected.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Introducing: Only Real

image: barrygruff.com

Niall Gavin, a.k.a Only Real, has been knocking about for over two years now, putting out stellar tunes which are defined by being young and carefree with a summer-infused zest seeping through every chord. His baritone rap/sung vocal style is comparable to the likes of King Krule but it is clear that when it comes to sounds, Only Real is much more focused on creating groovy hooks and laidback basslines which all sound magnificent when bound together by an underlying sense of hip-hop.

He has recently re-released one of his earliest tracks 'Cadillac Girl' which can only be described as one of those songs you constantly go back to after hearing it, without mundanity. It's the hazy, summery guitars and angst ridden lyricism that make this track the masterpiece that it is.

Fans of Jamie T should love Only Real.

Watch the video for Only Real's new single 'Cadillac Girl' below.

Track of the Week: Bombay Bicycle Club - 'To the Bone'

image: theguardian.com

Earlier this year, Bombay Bicycle Club released their fourth studio album. Much like its predecessors, So Long, See You Tomorrow saw the London based quintet undergo yet another reinvention in sound as they entered seemingly more electronic territory. However, ‘To the Bone’; a B-Side released by the band as part of Record Store Day, wouldn’t sound out of place on their sophomore album, Flaws.

The unmistakeably folk-style intro sounds awfully reminiscent of the acoustic overload we heard on 2010’s ‘Flaws’, with emphasis placed on the guitar and Jack Steadman’s melancholic murmurs. The sparse nature of the track seems to completely contradict the band’s recent revamp- take ‘Carry Me’ as a prime example, with its garish electronic undertone and brash drums- though this is by no means a bad thing. The band have already acknowledged the fact that they “weren’t sure how to fit (‘To the Bone’) on the album,” so it seems as though Record Store Day was the perfect opportunity to release the beautifully minimal track to their adoring fans.

So, for those who weren’t overly keen on Bombay’s most recent venture, you only have to give ‘To the Bone’ a listen to realise their alt-folk alter-egos haven’t been abandoned just yet.

Written for PostMusicDepression.

Album of the Week: Foals - CCTV Sessions

image: foals.co.uk

Foals. A band I have had a pretty unnerving obsession with since my pre-teenage years. From the math-rock pandemonium of 'Antidotes,' made to be played to a bunch of wired, barely legals shuffling at an Oxford house party, to the matured, momentous and slightly vulnerable instrumentals of 'Total Life Forever' which seemed to completely contradict its predecessor. Then came 'Holy Fire' which saw the Oxford quintet put their O.C.D to rest, ditching the clinical, over-analysed instrumentals and elaborate metaphorical lyrics- resulting in possibly their most credible pursuit to date. Now, headlining festivals and the Royal Albert Hall, it is clear that Yannis & Co. have successfully nestled their way into the hearts of the people, but there is one Foals endeavour in particular that I feel is astonishingly overlooked...

In the run up to their highly anticipated third album, Foals recorded a CCTV video series of themselves performing six album tracks and later released a limited number of these in vinyl format as part of Record Store Day last year. The outcome is nothing short of outstanding. From the minimal, sparse guitars of 'Milk & Black Spiders' to the uplifting tenor of Bad Habit' with it's incredible lyrics of self-loathing- each and every track beholds a certain air of preciousness and delicacy that wasn't necessarily encapsulated on the finished LP. 'Bluebird' a track that (oddly) doesn't make an appearance on 'Holy Fire' itself, sounds exquisite on this rarity, with a stunning introductory guitar line and enchanting sparse chords that oscillate beautifully throughout the entire track. 

I am aware that this isn't an 'album' as such, but it's all I've been listening to lately after rediscovering it on one of my procrastination sprees. If you haven't already done so, get listening to the whole series of tracks and prepare to be dazzled by a blur of haunting instrumentals and Yannis's dreamy vocals

Watch the 'Milk & Black Spiders' CCTV session below.