Magdalen Jenne: This track starts out with some really good initial ideas and then fails to expand on them. It doesn’t really need to, though: the sludgy instrumental break dissolves the song’s structure — the riff, the faint whiffs of piano at its upper registers — and replaces it instead with a pointedly ugly crescendo hurtling towards the end of the track. The dynamic shift is there, and even if you spend the whole first listen waiting for a chorus, the frustration in the fact that it never comes is a satisfaction in its own right. [7/10]
Ryan Dieringer: A cool sonic upgrade to the Parquet Courts’ formula. These broken synth lines and gravelly background vocals are totally recapturing that tight, scuzzy new wave sound from Light Up Gold. And I’m a total clean freak so this is extra an anthem for me. [8/10]
Chad Miller: This is our warning before we hit the last minute of the song, which sounds like the suffocation Parquet Courts warns about. Driving underlying guitar and a nice riff that switches off with the warnings drives this song forward. How such a repetitive song still feels fresh after four minutes is a mystery, but Parquet Courts makes it work. [7/10]
Jedd Beaudoin: Seems like I really liked these guys when they first came out. Then they were less interesting, now they’re interesting again. I’ll listen to this again. Can’t be mad at it. [7/10]
Ari Rosenschein: “Dust” is meaty college rock with deadpan delivery. Old school. Rough Trade historically has a good ear for this kind of stuff. [6/10]
Parquet Courts’ new album Human Performance releases April 8th via Rough Trade.
SCORE: 7.00