Smartass indie rockers Parquet Courts released their first proper LP, Light Up Gold, to much acclaim earlier this year. In what The Guardian called a “smart, snappy concoction of worldly wisdom and garage-rock gratification,” Light Up Gold presented a fresh, hilarious, and catchy take on millennial anxiety.
As four longtime college friends, the Brooklyn-based Parquet Courts seem to know each other pretty freakin’ well. In fact, the likemindedness is so pervasive that often songwriters/guitars Andrew Savage and Austin Brown are hard to discern. In a lively discourse, their knotty lyricisms and interlocking guitars flow back and forth constantly throughout the album.
Harking back to the lackadaisical ’90s themes found in Pavement’s and Beck’s lyrics, Parquet Courts tackle topics in a manner as weighty as it is frivolous. Take “Stoned and Starving,” one of the album’s many high points. The track is both a poignant lamentation on 21st Century aimlessness and an entertaining tale of a stoned dude… you know… looking for food. Propelled by driving Krautrock drums and post-punky guitars, “Stoned and Starving” is a paramount example of Parquet Courts’ multifaceted musings.
The group toured aggressively during early 2013 and their tight schedule is set to continue until fall. Fortunately, the group has included Madison in the itinerary, and they will grace High Noon Saloon with their tight, energetic live show this Saturday.