Parquet Courts

Like Eddie Argos on Art Brut's ridiculously fun debut, Parquet Courts' Austin Brown and Andrew Savage revel in delivering social commentary masquerading as wise-assery. Granted, that commentary generally revolves around the social life (sex, drugs and food) of your average 20-something. Raised in Texas, but based in Brooklyn, NY, the quartet boast the Modern Lovers garage howl of many of their Lone Star State contemporaries, such as Harlem, but blend the fuzzy buzz with rough-around-the-edges post-punk. The pulsing guitars and Brown and Savage's stream-of-conscious lyrics give these songs a hypnotic vibe, which is aided by the relative sameness of the record's first third, ensuring the listener quickly gets lost in the band's world. A little more variety certainly would flesh out the band's releases, but as it stands these 15 songs fit together nicely, giving the impression of one deliriously long writing session. Released last August, a mere eight months after their debut cassette, Light Up Gold is now seeing a reissue via What's Your Rupture? and hopefully will be quickly followed by another batch of whip-smart tunes.