I feel like I should like Parlour more than I do. I feel bad that I don't. I mean, it has certainly got the right pedigree: Tim Furnish, formerly of Louisville heavy sluggers Crain, and ex-members of first generation fakejazzer's The For Carnation and Aerial M. And it has got the right profile: off-kilter structural approaches to the rock setup plus vibraphones (read: textbook post-rock). Plus, lots of dudes way cooler than me are into it.
It's like this: "Jojolinine" has got geographic guitars, rapid-fire vibes, driving drums, and layers of texture. "Distracter" has an edgy pacing, moodiness, spy film soundtrack atmosphere and tension. "Over the Under" has menacing yet oddly funky bass, and propulsive drums which lead to inevitable bursts of intensity. "Hop Pife" and "Svrendikditement" have loads of bizarre electronics, the former burbling and ethereal, while the latter is herky-jerky and distorted.
Despite all that, however, it doesn't quite click. It's too anonymous. The best of these kinds of bands have a distinctive bent that keeps their music from being midtempo space filler, whether it's in terms of intellectualism, raw intensity, or just plain weirdness. But Parlour is lacking any of that. It has got the right shape but is lacking in form.
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