EP Review :: Parquet Courts - Tally All The Things That You Broke

Parquet Courts

Tally All The Things That You Broke

October 14 2013 (What’s Your Rupture?)

7.5/10

Words: Andrew Major

Off the back of their 2012 release ‘Light Up Gold’, Brooklyn based hipster punk outfit Parquet Courts have taken it upon themselves to release five track EP, ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke’ in an effort to keep the cogs of success turning. Parquet Courts have been on the up since their inauguration in 2010 with many critics and fans alike holding the band in high regard on the underground scene in the states and spilling out to a worldwide audience.

Parquet Courts certainly haven’t lost any of the intensity on ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke’, with the EP kicking off with a ear-splitting burst of white noise as ‘You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now’ takes shape with Andrew Savage’s staple slacker vocal style slurring through layers of rampant guitars and galloping drums; a definite foot-tapper. ‘Descend (The Way)’ follows a similar formula of droning rhythm section intersected with in-frequent offset guitar stabs and high-paced vocals.

Parquet Courts seem to have refined their sound somewhat since ‘Light Up Gold’ which despite having some stand out tracks did at times meander away from melody and sense, no doubt that was the intention. ‘Tally All The Things That You Broke’ offers an overall togetherness with each track complimenting its predecessor.

‘The More It Works’ is a slight exception to the Parquet Courts song writing formula with some evident influence from fellow New Yorkers, The Strokes, in the way of guitar progression but still retaining the of the odd-ball nature of Savage’s vocal styling and repetition. By repetition, if you can’t guess the title of the track by the end then you’ve got something desperately wrong with you. ‘Fall On Yr Face’ is a mish-mash of disjointed, dissonant instrumentation that somehow works brilliantly and brings back memories of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds early work with a hint of The Cramps, a mere 1:27 assault on the senses, joyous all round.

The EP is topped off in true style with a journey through a sure fire acid trip in the form of ‘He’s Seeing Paths’. Parquet Courts have clearly been listening to their fair share of Beck and it shows with some ingenious samples cut together to form the backbone of the track while a funk-filled bassline and some borderline rapping flips the track around and offers a recess between the increasingly mind-blowing instrumental sections. If you want a nice relaxing night in with a bottle of wine and some intellectual conversation, do not put this track on for the love of God.

All in all, ‘Tally The Things That You Broke’ is a brilliant body of work from a band that can only really go up. Interesting, original and off the wall but always holding on to the unique style that makes Parquet Courts such an exciting and infinitely ‘cool’ band. The EP is sure to keep fans happy and hungry for more.