Review By: Sean Lynch

Parquet Courts new single “Berlin Got Blurry” takes a trip back to the bands roots. The song serves as the first single off of Human Performance, the band’s fifth studio album. Last year served as an experimental time for the band through the release of the Monastic Living EP. The EP had mostly no vocals on any of the tracks and did not sound like a cohesive project because of the experimentation on each track.

“Berlin Got Blurry” comes as a return to form for the band in terms of being unified. Parquet Courts deviates from the experimental style of the Monastic Living EP and goes back to some of the garage rock style they had in the earlier parts of their discography.

The track also incorporates different elements like a cowboy western style of guitar riff and a deep synth. The guitar gives a jangly vibe throughout the track, especially in the solo towards the end of the song. Andrew Savage brings his sludgy, slow-paced style of vocals into the song and it pairs well with the slow riffs.

This single serves as a view into what Parquet Courts is trying to create on Human Performance. Stepping away from the mess they created on Monastic Living, the band sounds on the right track with some of the style they have created on older material. While it is not completely in stone that the band will drift away from Monastic Living, there is hope that the band will continue the style of sound they have released with this first single.