Parkay Quarts – Parquet CourtsÔÇÖ offshoot consisting of Andrew Savage, Austin Brown and a few friends ÔÇô return with Content Nausea, juxtaposing the last Parquet Courts release, Sunbathing Animal, which heavily featured ideas of freedom, with the idea of ÔÇÿcontent.ÔÇÖ
Content Nausea is a slower, plodding release compared to the more up-beat, aggressive albums previously released, but the characteristics of a sharp punk band are still present. With heavy emphasis on complacency, Parkay Quarts build on the already solid foundation they have crafted throughout their career; lo-fi guitar riffs laid on top of witty, sleepy lyrics that fringe on spoken word create a release that is extremely easy on the ear. With the majority of tracks running under three minutes, and three of these under one, thereÔÇÖs an undeniable encouragement for the listener to coast through at a leisurely pace.
One track that really disrupts the hypnotic blend of unhurried punk is the cover of Nancy SinatraÔÇÖs ÔÇÿThese Boots Are Made For WalkingÔÇÖ, which makes it one of the true standouts. While sharing the same tone as the original, Parkay Quarts flip the pop aesthetic and unite a horn section with the typical grinding sounds of the band to climax in a intense screaming battle between vocalist and instruments.
Content Nausea will be able to stand up with the other critically acclaimed releases by Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal and Light Up Gold, as a tight, sturdy take on a genre of music they are undoubtedly skilled at. This release serves as a reminder of how adept Savage and Brown are as lyricists and musicians, and another flash of brilliance from a band that seems to keep on delivering again and again.