It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years. The music on Day/Night, the epic second album from the Australian-European quintet Parcels, remains incredibly fresh. The double disc could have been released yesterday. It could be released tomorrow. It could also have been released during the golden age of disco, the height of the new wave, or the heyday of Daft Punk, or the peak of the dance-rock revival. It’s timeless, it’s gorgeous, it’s club-ready and stylish, and it firmly established Parcels as one of the most ambitious, most flexible, and musically accomplished bands in the world.
Now it’s got a follow-up. “Leaveyourlove” finds the band picking up right where they left things: with a melody as sleek and shiny as a jetliner, danceable beats, scratchy funk guitar and elastic bass, and some of the most radiant group vocals you’ll ever hear. That musical dialogue is one of the many charms of Parcels. This is the rare modern band in which everybody sings. They’re irresistible when they harmonize, and they’ve each got a distinctive and instantly recognizable style during their solo turns on the microphone. “Leaveyourlove” shows this off — that’s multi-instrumentalist Patrick Hetherton on one verse, guitarist Jules Crommelin on another, and bassist Noah Hill to finish the track. Drummer Toto Serret and pianist Louie Swain make themselves felt on the support vox, too!
It’s been a wild ride for the band since Day/Night: they’ve racked up millions of streams and views for their stylish videos, appeared on James Corden, toured the world, and won fans wherever they’ve gone. In an indication of their growing popularity in the United States, this summer, they headlined a show at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. And the band continues to accrue critical raves. To NME, the set is “vivid and inventive;” to Loud and Quiet, it’s “transcendental;” to Magnetic, it’s “euphoric.” With each plaudit, anticipation for Parcels number three becomes more intense.
But if these musicians are feeling any pressure, fans would never know it from the clip for “Leaveyourlove.” Director Alexandra Thurmond captures the five friends doing what they do best: they’re in a recording studio, making meticulous but relaxed funk-rock, completely lost in the moment yet secure in their collaborative relationship. Once again, the distinctive personalities of the members of Parcels are evident in every shot. Like every classic band, theirs is a group project in the truest sense. These are easy artists to get to know. If some don’t, here’s a perfect introduction.
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