Review – Parker “Laugh Like
A Mourner”
Independent EP through POP
Promotions
Parker has a long history that goes way beyond their
admitted establishment date of February 1998. It is this history, which includes
local Sydney bands like Gillius
Thunderhead, Asteroid B612 and the children that spark Parker’s drummer Curtis’s words, “The
songs were too good to deny and we knew that we had to make it work.” The result is this most-excellent independent EP “Laugh Like A Mourner”, through POP Promotions.
Each of the five tracks herein contained has their
outstanding qualities, hence no one track stands out from this record (although
having listened to it a few times now, Light and Vanity would
head the list). Lead Boots opens the account in the expected style from
one named JC Blues & so from Parker traditional pub blues/rock (Borich/Moss/Eastick) while track 4, Sunshine, follows suit
with some jazz/Zeppelin progressions
added in for a middle-8; the Cure/Green
Day
combo The Window shows the band’s quirky nature; Tim/Jeff
Buckley meets Steely
Dan
in a track from their November 1999 (Pop Promotions/MGM Distribution as JC
Blues)
single Vanity Is My Opium, and Moss/Barnes vocal layering is
added to this style in the closer Show Me Your Light.
JJJ is currently giving this
record spot-rotation (probably Lead
Boots, the Big Backyard track
from last year, although I don’t recall hearing either of these tracks on the
nominated programs) and any of these tracks could easily fit into a
not-too-adventurous rock station’s playlist. It is an excellent record and
worthy of more attention! Give it yours «««««