Simulacrenfield

The last time we heard from Parlour was in 2005 with their Hives Fives EP. They gave us their first taste of an expanded seven piece lineup that included founder and original sole member Tim Furnish on guitar, plus another guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, keyboards and drums. It was a wild and exuberant live display, watching and listening to a small army turn a confined space into a boundless playground. And then, nothing for five years; no new recordings and fewer than a dozen live performances. We now realize they weren't inactive, they were just scheming. Simulacrenfield rearranges the vision set forth in previous Parlour releases, utilizing the septet for all it's worth. The songs are tighter, heavier, and more melodically complex than ever before - no doubt partly contributed to the addition of Jon Cook (Crain, Rodan) on drums, and Breck Pipes (Cerebellum) on guitar. Furnish, Cook and Pipes - along with longtime Parlour member Steve Good (The Web, Sapat) - have a rich and storied musical history, having played in bands together in their hometown of Louisville, KY since the late 1980s. That familiarity and inherent musical dialogue with one another can be heard throughout Simulacrenfield; the rhythm section in a tight pocket while the guitars, keyboards and brass section trade sharp melodies and chugging riffs. Imagine a heavier, more disturbing Neu! with more unexpected twists and turns (and that's just the jumping-off point).