Parquet Courts – Bodies made of (Rough Trade)

The second single from the new album Sunbathing animal finds the Courts nestling comfortably into the space where Television and Pavement collide.

The first guitar interplay (staccato power chord to 3-note riff) brings us a taste of 1992 – it’s Slanted and Enchanted all over. The vocal has all the shouty, confrontational stance of Stephen Malkmus but without the wordiness. Andrew Savage does a whole lot with less – “bodies made of slugs and guts”.

The guitar solo is pure Tom Verlaine – in fact, if you drift off you could take the view that the entire song is a freewheeling, guttersnipe version of ‘Friction’ from Marquee Moon.

Then back to Pavement for a no wave, noise collapse and crisp kiss-off.

It’s a beautiful thing, all round.

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