Review Summary: A solid debut from a band that still needs a little bit more time to grow.
What do you think of when someone tells you that they recorded their debut album in a garage? In most cases, I can’t help but shake the image of untalented pre-teens with muscle shirts and terrible haircuts trying to become the new Metallica. But in Australia, I suppose everything really is backwards:
Foreign Tapes, the sensible indie/art-rock debut from Parades, was recorded entirely in a garage, and you’d probably never even know if they didn’t tell you. Given their unique methods and vision for their music, how does
Foreign Tapes stack up with other debuts of the genre?
Probably the most impressive thing about Parades on their debut is their ability to create a dense, layered atmosphere in all of their songs. Thanks to the electronics, piano and the inclusion of both a male and female singer, Parades proficiently accomplishes a thick, saturated soundscape that beautifully conveys a heartfelt underpinning throughout every song. Tracks such as “Hunters” and “Loserspeak in New Tongue” are brilliantly paced and extremely addictive, as the catchy dual vocal lines and ever-present melodic undertones really architect a sweet, sentimental tone, and it beautifully shines through at all times during the songs, despite whether the band is busting out rock riffs or slowing it down with sentimental pop sections.
Along with the aforementioned standouts, there are plenty of terrific songs to be found on
Foreign Tapes, and they each provide something different. Opener “Dead Nationale” establishes the band’s ever-present swirling melodic background before an aggressive drum beat and distorted rock section come barreling through. “Past Lives” lays it on thick with a gorgeous backdrop and catchy, sentimental vocal lines, while “Marigold” comes off as bittersweet, as the brisk trumpet lines almost contradict the bittersweet vocals before the song ends with a galloping, violent outro. Just when you thought you had the band all figured out, it seems like the next song on the album offers something a little different that you weren’t expecting, and it keeps the album very fresh and invigorating.
But as with most debuts, I would say that there are some kinks that need to be worked out. For me, despite the band’s fantastic ability to create an involving sound, I find that the interludes “Springboarder” and “Tripping Over Your Eyes” add very little to the overall cohesion of the album, and just come off as filler. And despite the band’s ability to progress perfectly from section to section in a song, weaving in and out of softer and heavier moments, I find that slower tracks like “Vulturehood” and “Lung Full of Light” sound very underdeveloped and come off as a little meandering in comparison to some other tracks. Finally, there are certain elements of the band’s sound that I do wish there were more of: the straightforward rock riffs in “Dead Nationale” and weaving, mutli-vocal lines in “Loserspeak in New Tongue” are incredibly well done but are few and far between, which just leaves me scratching my head as to why they didn’t go back to them more often.
But as far as debuts in the genre go, there are very little that accomplish what
Foreign Tapes does: for a band to have such a strong vision and talent right from the get-go is both inspiring and exciting, as they seemingly have nowhere to go but up from their already fantastic style and sound. I would hope that the band takes some time to develop their ideas and flesh out the strengths of their sound a bit more, but given the level of talent displayed here, I’m confident that their sophomore album will be an excellent companion to their stellar debut album.
