Latest LP offering from What's Your Rupture?, the label that brought us, among other things, US pressings of stand-out full-lengths by Iceage and Royal Headache. As those releases indicate, Kevin at WYR? has a great ear for records that seem to both embody and transcend the punk scene... records that you could imagine your little sister getting into, but that you can still hang with because they're definitely still punk. Parquet Courts definitely fits that mold, as they play an instantly-catchy kind of driving, simple, and poppy music that almost seems like an empty vessel into which critics and people like me can throw in references. As for me, I definitely hear a lot of Chairs Missing-era Wire (though the songs tend to be more upbeat), early Feelies (though less obtuse), early Pavement (though not as artsy), and even Neu! (though of course that reference doesn't capture the instantly-memorable vocals). Ultimately, this strikes me as its own thing, the kind of record that you'll hear people blatantly ripping off in years to come. As for me, I'm completely in love with it, and if you like good music and your tastes are adventurous enough to include the bands mentioned above, I venture to say that you will love this album too. What's Your Rupture? Records
