Parcels (Self-Titled Album Review)

This band has become an immediate favourite of mine with their breezy, funk and disco infused indie pop. Whilst they've definitely been inspired by Daft Punk, The Strokes and other bands, their sound remains somewhat unique and fresh.

On their debut studio album they deliver a fresh, natural album with tight, funky beats and rhythms as well as bright, energetic synths.

From opening song "Comedown" the band hooks you with an upbeat, catchy beat and a chilled vibe that remains present throughout the album. This may be a weaker cut from the album but it serves as a good start that leads to more exciting and memorable moments later on. You don't have to wait long though, as following this is the single "Lightenup", an instantly fun song with a great, funky beat and definitely a lightweight feels right until the end where we get an interestingly placed but fantastic flute solo.

The album progresses into electropop territory with the eight-and-a-half minute "Everyroad", an epic song that goes through 3 key stages, the first a section of emotional, introspective talking, then a transitional piece leading onto an astounding, bass driven instrumental that is perhaps the best moment on the whole album but well worth the longer runtime of the song.

There are softer moments too, sections of calm on the album, like "Closetowhy" and "Exotica", songs that focus less on sounding catchy and more on being personal and meaningful. Parcels capture this mood exceptionally well and the transitions between songs are really very good. With "Exotica" in particular, a beautiful piano outro leads onto funky single "Tieduprightnow" that returns to the more typical vibe of the band.

People have criticised the album for sounding manufactured and predictable at times and I can definitely understand that as a criticism although personally I enjoy even the songs that don't quite distinguish themselves as much as they could from each other, specifically "Comedown" and "Bemyself", even if the latter has some of the most thought provoking lyrics.

Before my conclusion I have to mention "Tape", the song most clearly influenced by The Strokes and indie rock music, for being another outstanding highlight on the LP, something I'll definitely be coming back to time and time again.

So, in conclusion I find almost every song here to be excellent, it's a near perfect album that could be a late entry for album of the year... Overall, this gets a solid 8.5 out of 10 from me. Definitely check this out, it will be worth your time.

Best Songs:
Lightenup, Withorwithout, Tape, Everyroad, Closetowhy, Iknowhowifeel, Exotica, Tieduprightnow

Worst Song/s:
Comedown (Simply for being underwhelming and less memorable than the other songs).