Monastic Living

Brooklyn-based indie punks Parquet Courts (sometimes known as Parkay Quarts) received an enormous amount of critical acclaim since the 2012 release of their second album, Light Up Gold. Both of the group's 2014 albums, Sunbathing Animal and Content Nausea, were given European issues by Rough Trade, and 2015 EP Monastic Living was exclusively released by the London-based indie institution. The release is easily the group's most abrasive, experimental recording to date, consisting either of extended, repetitive workouts or shorter, fragmentary pieces. With the exception of minute-long opener "No, No, No!," vocals don't appear on the EP. A few of the tracks (even some of the longer ones) cut off abruptly, and the distortion is pushed into the red a little more than usual, with some of the guitars drilling straight into the listener's ears. The entire EP feels like a fly-on-the-wall document of improvisatory studio sessions rather than a proper collection of songs. The EP's best moments reward patience and an open mind. The hypnotic, angular "Monastic Living I" feels like the group's take on minimalism, echoing some of Glenn Branca's no wave symphonies. A few more tracks add ticking drum machines and rambling, blippy keyboard into the mix; of these, the understated "Monastic Living II" is most successful. It seems like Parquet Courts might be taking notes from labelmates Girl Band, producing some of their most uncompromising work to date. ~ Paul Simpson