The last time we heard from Parlour was in 2005 with
their Hives Fives EP. They gave us their first taste of an
expanded 7-piece lineup that included founder and
original sole member Tim Furnish on guitar, plus another
guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone,
keyboards and drums. It was a wild and exuberant live
display, watching and listening to a small army turn a
confined space into a boundless playground. And then,
nothing for five years; no new recordings and fewer than
a dozen live performances. We now realize they weren't
inactive, they were just scheming.
Simulacrenfield rearranges the vision set forth in previous
Parlour releases, utilizing the septet for all it's worth. The
songs are tighter, heavier, and more melodically complex
than ever before - no doubt partly contributed to the
addition of Jon Cook (Crain, Rodan) on drums, and
Breck Pipes (Cerebellum) on guitar. Furnish, Cook and
Pipes - along with longtime Parlour member Steve Good
(The Web, Sapat) - have a rich and storied musical
history, having played in bands together in their
hometown of Louisville, KY since the late 1980s. That
familiarity and inherent musical dialogue with one another
can be heard throughout Simulacrenfield; the rhythm
section in a tight pocket while the guitars, keyboards and
brass section trade sharp melodies and chugging riffs.
Imagine a heavier, more disturbing Neu! with more
unexpected twists and turns (and that's just the
jumping-off point).
SALES POINTS
l First new studio album in 8 years
l Features members of CRAIN,
THE FOR CARNATION, PAPA M
l RIYL: TORTOISE, PELICAN,
DO MAKE SAY THINK, NEU!
TRACK LISTING
1. Destruction Paper (5:10)
2. Camus (5:53)
3. Jalepenooptics (4:29)
4. Wedder (5:48)
5. Simulacrenfield (6:21)
6. Carrier (4:08)
7. Sea of Bubbly Goo (10:42)