New York's Parquet Courts--or Parkay Quarts as it is stylized here--have a somewhat spotty past with me. While I really dug 2012's Light Up Gold, I felt left out in the cold on their last record, Sunbathing Animal. But because I'm a fan of Andrew Savage, the band's deep-voiced frontman, I'm still interested in seeing if the Parkay can top its previous material.
With "Uncast Shadow Of A Southern Myth," they're off to a good start. It's a long, dreary slow-burner, which there were a few of on Sunbathing Animal, but Savage has obviously upped his lyrical game here. He indulges in some Dylan-esque poetic abstractions while delivering them in a Lou Reed-style apathy. It actually keeps the track engaging as the band performs a simple, downtrodden instrumental that fuses lo-fi indie rock with alt-country.
Look for Parkay Quarts next album, Content Nausea, to be released via What's Your Rupture? on November 11th.