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#814: Parquet Courts – Master of My Craft

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Parquet Courts, Parquet Courts. Not the hugest fan of them, I have to admit. Not because they’re bad. They do make great songs, but I’ve never been able to fully enjoy their whole discography from front to back. I did a ‘review’ for Sunbathing Animal way back when. It’s not very good. But That was after I had heard Light Up Gold for the first few times and thought, “Wow! This is my new band.” I’ve not listened to that album for a while. If I had started this blog a bit later, ‘Bodies Made Of’ would’ve had its own post on here.

I’m digressing. Continuing on with the ‘songs from the perspective of someone we shouldn’t like’ theme established from yesterday’s post, this is ‘Master of My Craft’. It’s the first song on Light Up Gold, and it’s sung by co-lead vocalist Austin Brown. I think it’s all right to assume that this is from the POV of some sleazy, selfish, corporate business-oriented person who has no compassion whatsoever for other people. This person won’t even take a minute out of the day to talk to you. It’s madness. I’m exaggerating. Brown’s kind-of-distant vocal delivery suits the song’s message well, and I’ve personally liked the almost-monoaural mix the track has. Makes the performance sound all the more compact and tight.

With about fifty seconds to go, the vocals finish and the band jam on two chords with Brown providing a solo in each ear. Listening to the song by itself, you may think that it ends quite abruptly. You would be right. Some would tell you that the best way to listen to the song is when it’s then followed by the next track on the album, ‘Borrowed Time’. That would have had its own post too. That way you get a solid six minutes of some good rock music. You wouldn’t believe that one song ended and the other started the way this transition goes. The band perform the two songs live below.

Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal

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If “Light Up Gold” is a party album, “Sunbathing Animal” is the album for the morning after.

I just finished listening to Parquet Courts’ new album via Spotify. It was alright from what I could tell. It was just playing in the background whilst I was watching YouTube videos on my phone, which isn’t the best way to go about listening to something before giving an opinion on it. But this is not a review. The term ‘review’ would be used very very loosely in that case. This more of a…. first thought kind of thing.

The majority of the tracks are slow and very chill, apart from the album’s title track, “Ducking and Dodging” and possibly the second track “Black and White” which I think would all fit in with “Light Up Gold” had those tracks been thought of or developed at the time.

I’m all for slow and chill material. I will listen to it again, just to get a proper feel of it. And so I can hear for what it itself is, instead of comparing it to their previous album.

If you are a Parquet Courts fan, there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy “Sunbathing Animal”. Unless you were a huge fan of the energy that “Light Up Gold” had, then you may have to give this a few listens.