Parquet Courts -‘Sunbathing Animal.’ (Rough Trade)

The follow-up to l

ast year’s rather fine Light Up Gold (well, in the UK), the third album from Texans turned Br

ooklynites is an excellent exercise in leftfield guita

r noise. Though they have been compared to many 90s alternative-rock acts, I would argue that Parquet Courts are actually the missing link between Television and Pavement. This is in the sense th

at there is the great guitar work of the former married with the great tunes about t

o descend into a wonderful shambles of the latter.

And it’s not just that – there’s an endearing rough edge to proceedings that also evokes the spirit and sound of 1970s acts like Swell Maps and Wire, suggesting that they might be their heirs (well, Wire are still going but you get the idea). ‘Bodies Made Of’ and ‘Vienna II’ being very much examples of this, although longer tracks like ‘She’s Rolling’ keep the ball, well, rolling for much longer.

Given that so much of what pretends to be indie th

ese days is so far from the notion of what it should be about, there will be those who run screaming from this album. Their loss.For those who take the trouble to listen, this is a deeply rewarding and exciting record that shows a great record collection can still be the springboard for something fresh and exciting.

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Sunbathing Animal is out now on Rough Trade