Review Summary: The Sydney quartet has gone through many incarnations, changing names and styles left and right, with the final result being a fresh new approach to music and a stellar debut album.
I have been following Parades for quite some time, always amazed by their releases. Finally, after months of waiting, their debut album Foreign Tapes has been released and it does not disappoint. The Sydney quartet has gone through many incarnations, changing names and styles left and right, with the final result being a fresh new approach to music and a stellar debut album. Foreign Tapes is what I would describe as being post math rock, having quiet ambient build ups and jolty textbook math rock movements much to the likes of Foals. In short, Parades has produced a standout album which is a tremendous display of Australian innovation and creativity, reaffirming Australian music as some of the best in the world.
Dead Nationale:
The opening track demonstrates the fusion between the technicality of the guitar work and the ambient echoes in the background. The groove is great throughout the song and the dual male/female vocal melodies are extremely sweet and give the track a very laid back feel until it bursts into an innovative punk riff which brings us to the climax of the track, before more ambience and a hint of electronic synths fill the speakers until the close.
Hunters:
I think this is one of those songs that will stand the test of time. It is not the kind of song that you would get sick of listening to after a few plays, but rather a song that is always associated with some of your favorites. The song is beautiful in its soft parts and epic in its harder parts. At the center of the song lies the perfect balance between grandness and beauty, and it’s filled with amazing guitar pieces which affirm at this point in the album that this band means business.
Past Lives:
The song begins with a really cool worldly beat and then builds to a beautiful acoustic section which is charged with simple yet powerful harmonies. The lyrics also play a key role in making this track sound the way it does, especially in the second acoustic section. I can see this as one of my favorite tracks on the album, as it encapsulates the more experimental worldly elements of Parades music.
Invaders (Review):
This is perhaps the most electronic song on the album, mainly focusing on electronic drums and synthesizers to give the ambient feel to the track. The alternating individual vocal parts work well in this song, but when they come together it becomes so much more. The track is really colorful with many different layers to it, and the production is second to none. The album at this point has already displayed it’s diversity having showed us examples of world beat, ambient, electro, punk and post rock elements with the overlaying theme of math rock eminent through the tracks.
Springboarder:
The slow, “interlude track” sounds like something out of Sigur Rós’ back-catalog, demonstrating once again Parades’ post rock sound. The song brings a close to the first half of the album, leaving us to wonder what other genres and elements will be explored in the second half.
Lung Full Of Light:
An off-beat grand piano and the gorgeous voice of Freya Berkhout are the basis for this unorthodox ballad which is again something fresh and genre bending on this already diverse album. This is without a doubt the most gorgeous song on the album, purely because of its amazing lyrics, moving piano progressions and a hauntingly beautiful voice.
Loserspeak In New Tongue:
The true example of Parades’ experimental side, “Loserspeak In New Tongue” has an extremely odd vocal melody and time signature. The track is in a sense like a Picasso painting, it doesn’t seem to be in proportion or fit, and yet it comes together into a very memorable piece of art. How you choose to interpret it is up to you.
Tripping Over Your Eyes:
“Tripping Over Your Eyes” is a soft and appropriate track for this time in the album. The well-executed “interlude” track is well positioned between the most experimental and progressive song, “Loserspeak In New Tongue,” and the longest track on the album, “Marigold,” which clocks up at about six and a half minutes long. The track welcomes back the grand piano, but this time we are approached with the male vocals which are just as beautiful as the female counterpart featured in “Lung Full Of Light”.
Marigold:
The opening of this six and a half minute epic slowly layers different instruments on top of one another and builds up to a grand introduction to the vocal section. The song can be considered the most poppy song on the album, yet Parades doesn’t compromise their sound to produce a crappy piece of pop rubbish. They take the good things about pop music and make it their own to deliver to us a new and catchy summer anthem.
Vulturehood:
I don’t know why but for some reason this song reminds me of some of MGMT’s more acoustic sounding work. The song grows and grows until we are brought back to earth for the album to fade out yet remain in our heads; this basic yet powerful song brings this magnificent effort from Parades to a close.
This album is a triumph from beginning to end and will definitely be a contender for one of the best albums of the year. The problem is that no one really knows about it, which is why I chose to review it. Hopefully this hardworking band can be rewarded for their amazing efforts and hopefully people will give this truly brilliant album the respect it deserves.
Best Tracks: Hunters, Dead Nationale, Past Lives, Loserspeak In New Tongue
