CD of The Week

Sunbathing Animal, the 3rd LP from Brooklyn-by-way-of-Texas indie punk outfit Parquet Courts is named after lead singer Andrew Savage's cat. The title is appropriate as the chill-out connotation of a feline sunning itself in Bedford-Stuyvesant is equal to the patience and precision that Parquet Courts have evolved to. Once an overly wordy, glue sniffing blitzkrieg, Parquet Courts has grown up quickly.

Lead single "Black and White" could be three times as fast, but its subtle handclaps keep a 60's groove more groovy than other revival acts have strived for of late. Instrumental track "Up All Night" shows off a certain pacing that only a few thousand spins of Is This It could lend. Ironically the title track is the sprint of the album, showing off a love of 90's hardcore fine tuned with a lead guitar lick Dick Dalewould be proud of. "Ducking and Dodging" helps bring the record down the home stretch with vintage PC stylings, a poetic stomp which would make a great literary piece on its own. This stand-out track exists gloriously as a definitional recording of what this band is all about.

Having made appearances on national TV, gotten much radio love, and even having an indie hero like Stephen Malkmus proclaim his approval, Parquet Courts' future is bright. Take note kids, punk can be smart... but it's hard to be smarter than these punks.