The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Every Tuesday, the Sounding Board is a space for a short-ish review of a recent-ish release and conversations about new-to-you music. I’ll get things started with a write-up about a newer, likely under-heard album, and invite you to share your music musings in the comments.
If you’ve ever eaten cotton candy to the point of discomfort, you’ve experienced what it’s like to listen to Parcels newest album.
Just like a carnival confection, LOVED, the third studio album and fifth album overall from the Australian electropop quintet, is light, airy, brazenly inorganic, tantalizingly sweet and a little bit nauseating if consumed in large quantities.1 That’s not meant to be entirely damning.
In the right setting, colorful, wispy sweets can transubstantiate into something substantial and sublime. The saccharine smell of freshly spun cotton candy can lure customers with a wafted scent from across the fairgrounds, and the first few mouthfuls of still-hot fluff hits the spot in a way only the emptiest of calories can. LOVED‘s strengths are similarly unsubtle and alluring. When its songs are consumed in bursts, it’s every bit as enjoyable as sugar melting on the tongue.
Parcels make bright, carefully layered, often ebullient pop music. Common sonic building blocks include ’90s house music-style keys, rubbery bass, percussion that sounds like woodblock, chicken scratch guitar, off-mic laughter and lush multi-part harmonies. The last of those elements often draws comparisons to the Beach Boys.2 It’s a likening with some merit. Parcels create gorgeous, sometimes intricate, vocal arrangements atop instrumentals that could close out a Trolls movie. However, more often than not, they lack the knack for invention and melancholic depth offered by the best Beach Boys songs.
A few slower tracks do fully earn the comparison. “Safeandsound,” in particular, taps into a vein of subdued emotionality found in Brian Wilson’s room.3 It also features some synthesizer that sounds plucked from Keith Emmerson’s Moog. “Everybodyelse,” is another standout. It’s downcast, relatively stripped down and legitimately funny in a way that’s otherwise in short supply on LOVED. “Putting on pants/ Summering in France/ Like everybody else is/ I fell in love/ Then I fucked it up/ Like everybody else did,” is a hilarious series of words on an album that otherwise sincerely considers the good and bad of love.
On the brisker side of things,“Leaveyourlove” is best in class by virtue of being supremely catchy. It’s got the type of repeated hook — “I never wanna leave your love” — that you’ll find yourself absent-mindedly mouthing while grocery shopping or doing the dishes.4 It is this close to being annoying, but it winds up charmingly irresistible and infectious with a mighty assist from mumbly backing vocals and an almost call-and-response structure. It’s goofy, scruffy charms ultimately outweigh the incessant repetition caked into the track.
That’s a perilous alchemy that can be pretty sweet for a song or two but wears thin over an album.
About the writer
Ben Hohenstatt
Ben Hohenstatt is an Alaska-based dog owner who moonlights as a music writer and photographer.
For more information, consult your local library or with parental permission visit his website.
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The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
The Sounding Board
A weekly column where New Music Tuesdays live on. Conversation is encouraged in the comments.
Department of
Conversation
What Did We Watch?
Alfred Hirchcock Presents, “Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid” – Really need more time to figure out how I feel about this one.
The Practice, “Passing Go” – The fourth season starts with a lot of stuff happening. Eugene is one lawyer in a case where two college students are accused of murdering a 15 year old, each pointing the finger at the other, and he is pissed that Helen is trying both together to make sure at least one pays. Bobby is hit by a car – don’t worry, he’s fine – but Ellenor is the driver’s lawyer and her advice to him right after the accident (and before she knows it was Bobby who was hit) violates ethical and legal procedure. So naturally she has the standard crisis of conscience. Rebecca suddenly tells everyone she was secretly in law school for five years and just passed the bar, which is hard to believe but makes sense given how many times Kelley has centered her. And we learn why Bobby is so dead set against the firm turning more upscale: his dad has been a janitor for such a firm his whole life and Bobby hates how dad is treated. Of these, only the Eugene plot works entirely, and adding another lawyer when I wouldn’t say there is enough to keep everyone busy is weird. Guests include George Coe as a judge, Ronny Cox briefly popping up as Helen’s boss, and Charles Durning as Bobby’s dad. Naturally, Durning is great.
Frasier, “Everyone’s a Critic” – Niles is made a critic for a snooty magazine, and a jealous Frasier schemes to get his own arts show. Only his scheme to talk the intern daughter of the current station owners into getting him a show misfires and the intern claims it for herself. We all knew where this would end up, but the intern, a boring chatterbox and played by future Tony winner Katie Finneran, adds a lot of zest.
I was glad to find an angle on that AHP episode, because otherwise, I was worried I was going to be stuck with an ultra-short write-up that was basically, “I guess this is fine, but it doesn’t need to be an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode.”
The X-Files, “Grotesque”
We’ve had “The X-Files prefigures Criminal Minds,” and this is “The X-Files prefigures Hannibal (TV),” although with sadly less eroticism. A possession angle serves as Mulder and Scully’s entree into a grotesque–title drop!–string of serial killings that’s inexplicably continued despite the arrest of the obvious initial culprit. This is one of the rare episodes with a (mostly) real world explanation, but that doesn’t mean it slacks off on the horror angle: certain images, like Mulder peeling the wet clay off a gargoyle “sculpture” only to reveal its encasing a human head, are extremely eerie and effective. They brought in good artists to do the sketches and sculptures, too.
The pacing is sluggish, though, and the actual mystery isn’t too well-constructed. I feel like it would’ve been better to have Nemhauser, not Patterson, be the ultimate culprit: someone who, unlike Mulder, worshipped Patterson and so followed his teachings too far, with a twist of being addled by the idea that he was possessed after the killer bit him during the arrest. It’s fine to have it be Patterson–I do like the idea that he requested Mulder’s involvement in part to try to stop himself–but the reveal feels like it happens only because all the other suspects are dead.
Not a lot of Skinner in this episode, but he does get a good scene where he talks with Scully about being sincerely worried about Mulder (who’s going all TV Will Graham on them). Skinner’s ability to stay emotionally invested in the safety of two agents who are, honestly, a constant headache who have thus far rarely returned the favor and cared about him in return is nothing short of saint-like.
I prefer to think of Hannibal as the end result of Twin Peaks, but I could definitely see it as the fullest extension of The X-Files. I think the most influence X-Files had was in long-form storytelling in American TV and in its cinematic style. Although thinking about it, I suppose Twin Peaks must be the most influential American show of all time – its influence split as it is between prestige TV and satirical comedies.
The Kids In The Hall, Season Four, Episode Two
“Hey! Watch your language! My parents are here!”
“Don’t use that word?” / “What word?” / “The ‘o’ word.” / “Orgasm?”
“What do you mean you don’t see a tiny little oompah band when you daydream?”
“I’ll take the guy in the t-shirt, and you take the great flesheating creature of Antor.”
“Trekkies with red pubic hair.”
“I know what you’re thinking: when will you be able to have sex with me?”
“That’s a good-looking hardboiled egg.”
“Hey, call it a funeral egg!”
AN OLD GUY WHO USED TO WATCH A LOT OF TV
“Although considered to be his best film, it was also considered to be terrible.”
Independence Day
Speaking of a director’s best film to also be considered terrible. I’m sick today and threw on old movies to amuse myself. I noticed a lot of people in the 10’s say that they always thought this movie was dogshit but the movies of that time made it look like Casablanca, which I feel comes from the fact that Independence Day has very dumb, melodramatic story decisions that are extremely tightly scripted. The interesting thing I noticed this time is that almost everything goes wrong the first two-thirds of the film; everything human beings try to counter the aliens ends up getting people killed, with the only real win being Will Smith’s character getting the body of an alien (and even that gets doctors killed down the line).
This, of course, is to pay off all the triumphs in the third act; it’s cheesy as hell, but it also works because it’s earned through suffering. The movie is very much the story of a community coming together; one of the other reasons people like it best out of Emmerich’s films is because it’s very well cast, with people finding their characters and their chemistry really fast. The last reason, of course, is that it’s one of the last blockbuster films to be largely practical effects for a long while. CG is largely used for things that can’t be done practically; I’m particularly struck by a climactic shot of a missile being launched, and the missile and thing it’s launched out of are both props, and the explosion of the launch is real.
The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down
Jeff Daniels is quietly carrying this movie. Keanu Reeves has one of his better performances as a high-octane adrenaline junkie who barely acknowledges other people, Dennis Hopper is the wacky villain, Sandra Bullock is a sitcom protagonist pulled into the wrong genre, but Daniels is the guy who does his job (you must be the other guy). Makes his DBTA character more moving.
I’m very fond of Independence Day, and this is definitely why: it’s cheesy and melodramatic, but it knows how to serve up that melodramatic cheese in a tight, satisfying way, with good storytelling and charismatic actors playing well-defined characters who all have good chemistry with each other. Randy Quaid’s heroic sacrifice is exactly the kind of thing this sort of pulp epic does well.
Contemporary reviews of Independence Day called it dumb too. I like to think of it as entertainingly simple. The aliens attack on July 2nd, the humans get their shit together on July 3rd and they fight back on July 4th. I think it’s stood the test of time because of the cast, as you mentioned, but also it’s entertaining simplicity. By the way, the cool kids call it ID4.
I’m also still very fond of Independence Day, and it’s the perfect dumb movie to throw on when sick / tired / hungover. I will always feel my eyes mist up a bit when that dog narrowly escapes getting blown up in a tunnel and I feel no shame about this!
Spirit of the Beehive: One of my favorites, but one I still don’t understand well enough to get an article out of it. This story (if you want to call it that) of 7-year-old Ana in Fascist Spain actually benefits from the ambiguities. On the one hand, being Ana’s age means never quite knowing what’s going on, and on the other hand, we as adults can’t quite understand Ana’s world. Not quite as good as director Victor Erice’s follow-up El Sur, but still a must-watch.
What Did We Listen To?
Slowly slowly getting through the wackadoodle Blank Check on The Man Who Wasn’t There. (Boy, I wish this were streaming somewhere. I totally forgot the UFO.) Hoffman is one of my favorite guests, but also really does need to be reined in a bit. But the many interpretations of the movie are fascinating.
And the next episode of my wife’s podcast dropped. I can never get enough of hearing her and her BFF chatting.
I really enjoyed this episode although in retrospect some of Hoffman’s comments were pretty strange (especially re: Frances McDormand). I occasionally lurk in the subreddit and the amount of controversy over his appearance kinda made me feel bad for how much I enjoyed it…
The subreddit got increasingly more, well, Reddit. There is a reason the Two Friends abandoned checking on it.
I think they heavily overplay that, they still both post there pretty consistently.
They lied to me!
Didn’t make any progress on the 1001 Albums this week as I’ve been focusing on new music. A bunch of my most anticipated albums of the year have come out in the last few weeks and I’m struggling a little to fully get into any of them, which I feel is mostly my issue rather than the quality of the music, I’ve just been struggling to connect to new stuff a little this year for whatever reason (because I’m listening to so much older stuff? hmmm).
The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie: this is very good, but the last Beths album was such an instant favourite that it’s hard not to draw unflattering comparisons. I like that they keep adding new elements to their sound, the chorused 80s-y guitars sound really good on a few tracks here.
Jens Lekman – Songs for Other People’s Weddings: there are some very high highs here but it’s also a sprawling 80 minute concept album which feels like maybe it could have been trimmed a little. “A Tuxedo Sewn For Two” made me laugh out loud in the car while listening, but there are some unexpected directions followed later on the album that I’m somewhat biased against but curious to revisit.
Dancer – More or Less: one of my favourite current UK bands, they’ve only been around a couple of years and they’re already on their second full-length album after multiple EPs and a split LP. This is the first one where I don’t immediately feel like I love it, although the vinyl that I pre-ordered just arrived today so I have additional motivation to keep playing it and hope it’s a grower.
Liquid Mike – Hell is an Airport: really loved the last couple of albums by this powerpop / pop-punk band from Marquette, Michigan (fictional home of Joe Pera!) but this new one feels like it’s channeling a certain kind of 90s emo-pop with really heavy compression and I’m not sold on it… yet.
Blank Check, Intolerable Cruelty – solid episode, not as anarchic as my favourite ones tend to be but a good balance of laughs and analysis. I largely agree with the “underrated film but still one of their worst works” consensus, which only speaks to the quality of their filmography.
Into the Aether, Hollow Knight: Silksong – some (considerably more hardcore) gaming friends recommended this podcast episode about the game I’m currently playing, it was a fun discussion and I can see why they like the podcast although I’m not sure I care enough about games in general to add it to my rotation. If they do further episodes on this game as they progress though, I could be tempted.
I thought I’d get through the whole EP section of Nath’s best of the ’00s list in one week, but alas, it was a hell of a week. But I have:
EP, The Fiery Furnaces
I really liked Blueberry Boat, but I think I like this even more, and it contrasts to that album in interesting ways. This is much more freewheeling, and I think the looseness–as well as the standalone quality of the songs–appeals to me. Loved the dark but jammy “Single Again,” the beautiful instrumentation (those tinkly bell-like sounds!) in “Sing for Me,” and “Tropical Ice-land,” a bouncy sunshine song with a twist.
Darts of Pleasure, Franz Ferdinand
Not a contrast with the LP I’ve already listened to, but a bolstering of its strengths. (Technically, this pairs with an album I’m going to get to later on the list, so I couldn’t listen to that one yet.) Delightfully upbeat and engaging. The switch to a kind of darker, sometimes more slurred groove for “Shopping for Blood” is great, but the title track is my favorite.
Treble in Trouble, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Excellent and very consistent. I can easily see popping this on whenever in the future and sinking into it. Can’t believe this was the band’s first recording!
Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
“The High Party (Solo)” is one of my favorite Ted Leo tracks so far, and “Bleeding Powers” is also very catchy. I couldn’t get behind “(Decaying Artifact)” and “(Untitled Hidden Track),” though, so they threw me off the seamless enjoyment that I got from Treble in Trouble.
Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks, The Rapture
High energy. The title track is a great way to kick things off, but it’s followed by “Modern Romance,” which is unfortunately too noisy for my tastes, and which starts a trend of this all being a little too scream-and-wail-heavy for me.
Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard (A True Story), !!!
Ending on an incredible high note for this write-up, because the title track of this EP is one of my favorite things on the list so far. Such a great fucking groove. The sound is so (defiantly, given the subject matter) sexy and immersive; I love how the music gets louder at points, like it’s drowning out all thought. Terrific instrumentation, incredible texture. Movies should be made just so they can have montages set to this. “Intensifieder” also rules in much the same way, but I gotta give it to that opener.
Screen Drafts, “Rural Horror,” “Holiday Horror (Non-Christmas and -Halloween),” “Ozploitation,” “1994 Mini-Mega,” and “Horror Anthologies”
I’ve gotten to the point where I now have a Screen Drafts nemesis.
“Rural Horror” has talked me into revisiting Tremors, which I haven’t seen since eighth grade and remember almost nothing about it besides the circumstances of watching it, and “Ozploitation” made me want to see quite a few things, but unfortunately almost all of them are hard to get hold of. I’m going to find a way to watch Fortress, though, dammit! (Also, I was delighted to spot a reference to The Castle.) 1994 Mini-Mega reminded me of the need to watch both Crooklyn and Three Colours, and I was so happy to get such appreciation for Shawshank and Quiz Show.
Everyone should be revisiting Tremors literally all of the time, IMO.
I’m a couple weeks behind on offering follow-up comments. Did I ever get you a copy of that Black Kids EP? I don’t think you can find it otherwise.
Some of these EPs are definitely side notes to concurrent albums, as I’ve mentioned before. (EP is interesting because it’s a rather different direction for the Fiery Furnaces than Blueberry Boat.)
“The High Party” (and “Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead”) both show up on Hearts of Oak, and “Bleeding Powers” shows up on Shake the Sheets.
“Darts of Pleasure” is great, but it does appear on Franz Ferdinand— of the tracks exclusive to this EP, “Shopping for Blood” is very cool, but I really like the riffs (both guitar and what I think is keyboard) on “Van Tango.”
I was able to find the Black Kids EP on YouTube! Great stuff (more next Tuesday, obviously).
Listening to EP alongside Blueberry Boat was very cool for the difference in approach.
In addition to this week’s Sounding Board album, I spent a ton of time with new releases from Shame, Wolf Alice and the Beths.
They’re all good with flashes of greatness. The grandeur of the Wolf Alice LP probably puts it at the top of that trio on sheet audacity.
Year of the Month update!
Here’s a primer on some of the movies, albums, books and TVwe’ll be covering for 1973 in October!
Oct. 7th: Lauren James: Working
Oct. 22nd: Lauren James: The Wicker Man
Oct. 2oth: Sam Scott: F for Fake
Oct. 29th: Lauren James: Don’t Look Now
And there’s still time to sugn up for any of these movies, albums, books, from 1938!
TBD: Cori Domschot: /Holiday
TBD: Bridgett Taylor: Rebecca
Sept. 25th: Cori Domschot: Bringing Up Baby
Huh, forgot to mention this, but “Safeandsound” has been getting some radio play here lately. Pretty groovy and chill as I recall… I feel like there’s been a fair amount of this kind of music this year, and at this hour my mind is having trouble separating the specifics. I probably should’ve listened to it again before commenting.