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The release information that I received along with a promo of the debut album from the Columbia, South Carolina band, Parlour Tricks, recommends the band to those who like Foals, Interpol, Joy Division, Battles, and The Cure. My spider-sense always sounds an alarm when I receive an album promo that compares a band to The Cure. After all, no band has ever managed to sound quite like The Cure, including The Cure themselves. I would advise future promoters not to use this comparison. As expected, Parlour Tricks are yet another band that does not sound anything remotely like The Cure.
Fortunately, Parlour Tricks have done their post-punk homework to a sufficient extent, as evidenced in by the Joy Division-esque percussion and angular guitar in the vein of bands like Interpol and The Killers at the start of the track, Atomic Age, that kicks off this self-titled release. This first song, an infectious number with a strong rhythm backbone, is the album's highlight. The post-punk influence loses steam with each subsequent song, as Parlour Tricks morph into a slightly over-caffeinated version of Jet or The Strokes. Think of Interpol and Joy Division thrown into a cage with AC/DC and you have Parlour Tricks.
Parlour Tricks does not reinvent the wheel, but the album an uproarious sense of fun that cannot be denied. Despite the post-punk pretense of the band photos and song titles (Entropy, Neon Lights, Radio Out), Parlour Tricks come across as Southern guys who just want to have a good time. The final track, Down in the Minefield of a Memory, brings the album back full-circle into post-punk with a promising New Order-trademarked bass line that maintains momentum once the rest of the band sounds out with a fast-paced edgy rocker. It's all good. Parlour Tricks manage to quicken my pulse with a few tracks, and they're the type of band that I would not mind hearing in a dive bar. Originality takes a backseat to fun, but that can be a compliment in these days when there is a shortage of fun edgy rock.
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