Labels: Northern Spy
Review by: Alex Deller
Strange stuff here that manages to hint at interesting points of reference while maintaining a strong sense of individuality. Danceable rhythms thrum insistently while the music is by turns beautiful and threatening, stumbling playfully between pastel-hewn grogginess and queasy noise-rock lunges. It’s Alyse Lamb’s fluttering voice, however, that steals the show, giving shape to the music’s abstractions while adding another layer of confusion due to the conflicting emotions it arouses. Deerhoof or Blonde Redhead seem like good places to start by way of comparison, though there’s something here that also recalls a less harrowing, less cracked Muscle & Marrow. Good, sound, singular comparisons all – and also ones that should give you an indication as to the offbeat path that Parlor Walls are taking.