Post-punk combo Parquet Courts have announced a new album. Sympathy for Life will be out on October 22 through Rough Trade Records, and the single "Walking at a Downtown Pace" is out now.
A press release promises that the album was inspired by dance culture, with influences including New York clubs, Primal Scream and Pink Floyd.
In a statement, singer Austin Brown contrasted Sympathy for Life against the band's 2018 album, saying, "Wide Awake! was a record you could put on at a party. Sympathy for Life is influenced by the party itself. Historically, some amazing rock records have been made from mingling in dance music culture — from Talking Heads to Screamadelica. Our goal was to bring that into our own music. Each of us, in our personal lives, has been going to more dance parties. Or rather, we were pre-pandemic, which is when this record was made."
The songs came together during improvised jam sessions, which the band recorded and sampled alongside producers Rodaidh McDonald and John Parish.
For a taste of the album, check out "Walking at a Downtown Pace" (and its accompanying video by Daniel Arnold) below.
In the lead-up to the album, Parquet Courts will be throwing 11 "happenings." These in-person events will take place every week in a new city, and some details can be found at the band's website. None of the events are taking place in Canada. Two days before the album release, on October 20, Parquet Courts will host a livestream featuring videos for every song on Sympathy for Life.
Sympathy for Life:
1. Walking at a Downtown Pace
2. Black Widow Spider
3. Marathon of Anger
4. Just Shadows
5. Plant Life
6. Application Apparatus
7. Homo Sapien
8. Sympathy for Life
9. Zoom Out
10. Trullo
11. Pulcinella
A press release promises that the album was inspired by dance culture, with influences including New York clubs, Primal Scream and Pink Floyd.
In a statement, singer Austin Brown contrasted Sympathy for Life against the band's 2018 album, saying, "Wide Awake! was a record you could put on at a party. Sympathy for Life is influenced by the party itself. Historically, some amazing rock records have been made from mingling in dance music culture — from Talking Heads to Screamadelica. Our goal was to bring that into our own music. Each of us, in our personal lives, has been going to more dance parties. Or rather, we were pre-pandemic, which is when this record was made."
The songs came together during improvised jam sessions, which the band recorded and sampled alongside producers Rodaidh McDonald and John Parish.
For a taste of the album, check out "Walking at a Downtown Pace" (and its accompanying video by Daniel Arnold) below.
In the lead-up to the album, Parquet Courts will be throwing 11 "happenings." These in-person events will take place every week in a new city, and some details can be found at the band's website. None of the events are taking place in Canada. Two days before the album release, on October 20, Parquet Courts will host a livestream featuring videos for every song on Sympathy for Life.
Sympathy for Life:
1. Walking at a Downtown Pace
2. Black Widow Spider
3. Marathon of Anger
4. Just Shadows
5. Plant Life
6. Application Apparatus
7. Homo Sapien
8. Sympathy for Life
9. Zoom Out
10. Trullo
11. Pulcinella
