Parquet Courts - "Wide Awake!"

Parquet Courts are a New York-based Punk band that I first got into around the release of their "Light-Up Gold" album.  Now, I usually take a while warming up to a band.  But instantly I was absolutely obsessed with the band and their style.  There were elements of Garage Rock and Post-Punk here.  But at the end of the day, it was the wild performances of Andrew Savage and Austin Brown on vocals.  Tracks like the "Borrowed Time" and "Light Up Gold" were instantaneous and exciting.  But this album was littered with incredible deep cuts like the intense"Donuts Only" and the wild and catchy "Disney P.T.".  This album was pretty short, but it made you notice Parquet Courts immediately.  Parquet Courts returned in 2014 with "Sunbathing Animal", and all I can say is, what the hell happened?  The quality on this album took an absolute nosedive, with most of this album being near unlistenable.  Thankfully we get the wild "Sunbathing Animal;" and the hypnotic, pulsing "What Color Is Blood".  But the rest of this album took everything I loved about their debut and overloaded it all.  It's just not a good album. Now, Parquet Courts returned in 2015 with "Content Nausea", and an album that was a bit comeback for me.  The tracks here weren't nearly as lifeless as their last album.  And this album just had a really rough around the edges feel to it that I actually thought came off really well.  That, alongside some solid covers and an intense title track, made this a big return to form.  Parquet Courts returned in 2016 with the surprisingly vast "Human Performance".  This was the band's most expansive and diverse album yet.  We got a taste of funk on "One Man No City", hypnotic Post-Punk on "I Was Just Here", and seemingly countless more genres.  And they presented it all wonderfully, with the same passionate performances and poetic lyrics.  "Human Performance" more than anything reminded us just how dynamic of a band Parquet Courts are, and up to this point has been their most creative album. Parquet Courts have returned, this time alongside legendary producer Danger Mouse.  And from the sound of these singles, Parquet Courts have more tricks up their sleeves than ever.  Let's chat.

This album starts off with “Total Football”.  It’s a smooth intro, with the band playing to their Indie roots.  But it does pick up quickly into a Punk jam.  THat’s one thing I do always love hearing in a Parquet Courts album, you really never know what direction they’re going to take.  I have to say, Andrew Savage on vocals sounds fiery as hell, and the group chorus here is just the sort of hypnotic one I love hearing from these guys.  It’s rebellious, but it’s also very colorful between wild instrumentals, melodic vocals, and that one soloing guitar.  It’s a fucking blast of an intro.  Then we have “Violence”, which is this heavy, funky jam that has Danger Mouse written all over it.  It’s sleek, and while it’s certainly funky Savage’s performance is still fiery as hell.  In a way, this almost reminds me of something Beck would have done years ago on “Odelay”.  And trust me, I mean that in the best way.  There are quirky vocal snippets, wonky synths, making this track a real shot out of left-field.  Not to mention, that one lyrics about Savage’s name is absolutely awesome, he’s such a poet in a world where so many lyrics are slowly blending together.  It’s a bizarre tune, and one that I didn’t expect, but man, does it ever work.  Then we have “Before the Water Gets Too High”, which brings things down a notch or two.  This is our first outing with Austin on vocals, which when it comes to his vocals are a little more hit and miss with people.  But I sort of always have loved his slacker demeanor and deadpan vocals.  This track though to me is a letdown.  And trust me, there really isn’t a lot of let downs here.  But this one is just really out of place.  For one, of all of the tracks here the production is most questionable here.  And instrumentally, this track is very safe.  But outside of that, it’s certainly not bad.  Lyrically this is just fine, and the slacker vibe is there.  I just wish “Before the Water Gets Too High” was cleaned up a bit.   For a slower tune though, at the very least “Mardi Gras Beads” sounds like Parquet Courts.  It’s got a starry-eyed vibe to it, and in a way, it actually has a little of that stoner vibe of their classic debut.  For a stripped-down track, this is great.  It’s beautiful, but it also has all of those great lyrical moments as well as some passionate performances.  This is my kind of a mixed bag album, the sort where a whole lot of it’s good, but you never know what flavor you’re going to get.  It’s hypnotic, psychedelic, and it just works.  On the other hand, “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In And Out of Patience” is an absolute knockout.  I love the intensity of this one right off the bat.  It’s a vibrant clash of Indie Rock and Punk Rock attitude, and the result is absolutely exciting.  This track gets me amped up man.  Like, it’s moments like this that even at their wordiest, I can’t help but absolutely eat this up.  Then, of course, this one does transition into a much more upbeat Punk tune that goes over just as well.  It’s hypnotic at moments, but it’s also insanely melodic.  I can’t remember the last time I heard an album so rebellious that was so much fun.  Not to mention, that last few moments with Savage thanking a non-existent crowd is charming.

Then we have “Freebird II”, which I really wasn’t expecting.  This is the most “indie” sounding tune here, and they are literally going all Southern on this one.  To an extent, I guess you can sort of hear elements of “Freebird” in the background, but not too much at all.  Savage is at his most cryptic here, and his hardest to dissect by far.  But with all of these backing vocals mirroring Savage at every moment, I want to learn every bizarre lyric and belt it out.  Not to mention, this is by far the most memorable chorus of the album.  It’s a bizarre track, to say the least, but it’s the sort of rick I crave.  “Normalization” on the other hand, is much more upbeat with Savage at his most aggressive.  Here though, for once he’s a little easier to comprehend, and more than anything just comes off pissed.  This track for an upbeat one is full of surprises, with funky bass and some spacey synths.  So far, I really feel like Danger Mouse has done exactly what I wanted him to do.  He’s taken the band’s sound, left it, for the most part, added in some surprises and cleaned them up.  The result is extremely exciting and vibrant, and I couldn’t be happier.  “Back to Earth” however, is different for the boys.  This one is slower, but it’s also very dramatic.  And sadly, I don’t really think it’s one of the best moments here.  This one is just so intense and tightly wound, the last thing I really feel like works here is Austin’s very dreary performance.  I do think it’s a sweet tune, and lyrically it’s on point.  But Austin’s deadpan vocals amongst this atmosphere doesn’t come off nearly as prophetic as they think it does.  But instrumentally, I do dig how grand this one is, I just really wish Savage was on vocal duty.   Thankfully, this album’s title track wakes you up quickly.  This one is wildly funky, fueled by steel drums and all sorts of other World Music influences.  But deep down, it still has that Parquet Courts feel with that riff and group vocals.  It certainly still is Parquet Courts deep down, but at the quirkiest and most colorful they’ve probably ever been.  It’s straightforward and all, and it may not be Savages' best lyrical moment here.  But my friends, today, simplicity one, because this track is amazing.  But “NYC Observation” assures us that Parquet Courts are far from shifting their style completely.  I love this track, it’s just so obvious.  It’s punky, aggressive, and Savage’s more observational moments here about a literal NYC observation is just so Parquet Courts.  It’s catchy, anthemic, and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.

Then we have moments like “Extinction” which on the other hand, literally sound like long lost gems from the band’s first few releases.  But trust me, they’re good ones.  Savage once again is at his most cryptic.  But this one will absolutely get your foot tapping, even if it’s not nearly as catchy as the last tune.  On the other hand, for an Austin performance on this album, “Death Will Bring Change” may just be my favorite.  This is just as slow and grand, but this one is also seriously bizarre in the best way.  We get a children’s choir mirroring Austin at this track’s bleakest moments.  It’s a horrible, tongue-in-cheek moment, but it totally works and is just so much fun.  For a slower tune, especially with Austin at the helm, this is the way to go.  This album finishes off with “Tenderness”, which does start off with some studio banter which is fun.  But it does take quite a long time to get going.  But when this track does get rolling, it’s a seriously funky, swagger-filled, honky-tonk slow jam.  It’s smooth, however, and the boys pull it off effortlessly.  Savage still has seemingly endless words to express what he’s feeling, and while this one could have started up a little quicker, I can’t help but adore this as a finale. 

Rating: 9.1/10

Give A Listen To: “Violence”, “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In And Out of Patience”, “Freebird II”, “Wide Awake”

Least Favorite Track: “Back To Earth” 

Genre: Indie Rock / Punk Rock 

Overall Thoughts:  Parquet Courts have returned with what may be their best, and is by far their most ambitious album to date.  They seem to have really done something I thought was completely impossible, take the modern protest album and make it Funky, fun and colorful.  There are plenty of tracks on here in the fashion of early Parquet Courts recordings, with their legendary blend of sleek Indie and Wild Punk.   And don’t worry, the passionate performances and poetic lyrics are very much so intact.  But Danger Mouse on production has taken these guys to the next level.  This album is wildly quirky and has endless character.  Even instrumentally, we have everything here from Southern ballads to straight up Funk, and it comes off wonderfully.