The year is 2018, and Trump’s America is in full swing. By the middle of January, the then U.S. President had already childishly boasted about his country’s nuclear capabilities and, in a discussion about immigration figures, had referred to several African nations as “shitholes”. Like many Americans, Brooklyn-based punk rockers Parquet Courts were angry and bitter, disillusioned by the state of their country. But the band chose to be constructive with their rage, spreading messages of hope. Wide Awake! shakes you around the shoulders and makes you listen.
Simultaneously, Wide Awake! gets your hips shaking and your toes tapping as the band leaps towards the dancefloor. It’s a punk record you can boogie to. Parquet Courts have never sounded dull, but Wide Awake! sees them move out of their comfort zone; working with acclaimed producer Danger Mouse, they shake up perceptions of their music. 2016’s Human Performance was dynamic but mellow, but Wide Awake! is distinctly more upbeat without sacrificing the bite. It’s tight and groovy.
Since relocating to Brooklyn from their origins at the University of North Texas, the band has incorporated elements of New York’s musical alumni. From the slow rhythms of Television to the frenetic punk attitudes of the Ramones, the stylish skittishness of the Strokes to the propelling tension of the Talking Heads. ‘It’s Going To Happen’, the last track on Human Performance, feels distinctly like a Lou Reed tribute, while the experimental outlier in their discography, 2015’s Monastic Living, could be compared to Reed’s Metal Machine Music, if far less divisive. But their music also has a rural twang, typified by the spaghetti western riffs on ‘Berlin Got Blurry’, with Andrew Savage’s wry philosophical asides often compared to Pavement’s slacker king, Stephen Malkmus.
But Wide Awake! is more urgent and immediate, a reflection of the political landscape from which it was birthed. Musically, the influences are more wide-ranging, with Andrew Savage citing eighties punk groups like Minutemen, Flipper, and Big Boys. Tracks like ‘NYC Observation’, a sharp critique of attitudes towards homeless people in New York, and the self-improvement anthem ‘Extinction’ mimic the sharp, concise style of the Minutemen and English post-punk legends Wire.
Austin Brown’s influences come from different circles, citing disco legend Grace Jones, dub pioneer Augustus Pablo, and funk rock band Parliament. Throughout the record, Sean Yates’ bass emits an understated groove, while the deep vocal after the chorus on ‘Violence’ is a hat tip to Funkadelic. ‘Before the Water Gets Too High’ is a mechanical piece of electronic dub, a foreboding track of apocalyptic disaster, warning us of the consequences of climate change inaction. ‘Back To Earth’ is the record’s eeriest moment, its dubby rhythm helped by Max Savage’s sharp performance behind the sticks. The track’s harmonica section and pro-love messages could almost be constituted as lovers’ rock: “Get love where you find it/It’s the only fist we have to fight with”.
Wide Awake! is packed with powerful messages from the get-go. ‘Total Football’ doesn’t serve as a homage to the conquering Ajax side of the early seventies but rather as a rallying cry, encouraging collective empowerment. Savage’s statement: “Power resembled/If we are assembled”, rings true. Rebellion may start with one person, but it needs collective force to become effective. ‘Violence’ explores the power imbalance in the U.S. and the violence it creates. Arguably the band’s most explicit track to date, Savage’s role goes beyond preaching as he examines his role in society: “Allow me to ponder the role I play/In this pornographic spectacle of black death”.
The double whammy ‘Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience’ is an undoubted highlight, packed full of punch; it’s one of the few moments where the band cave into the frenzy they displayed on Light Up Gold. The first part was inspired by the band’s anger at seeing a pro-Trump supporter at one of their gigs, wearing a hat emblazoned with the statement: “Make America great again”. Oh, the irony. In ‘Almost Had to Start a Fight’, Savage contemplates if violence is the answer to such brazen right-wing attitudes: “I’m in the chaos dimension/Reason’s eclipsed by tension”. The second part dials up the tempo as Savage tries to remain patient, resisting his urges.
It’s the band’s most direct, confrontational work, but occasionally they dip into more mellow territory. The twanging riffs of ‘Mardi Gras Beads’ feel like a more tired version of ‘Berlin Got Blurry’, while the song’s languid, careworn rhythm and Brown’s weary delivery are strongly reminiscent of Pavement. ‘Normalisation’ starts as a brisk piece of punk but descends into a warped, semi-electric psychedelic breakdown. Conversely, ‘Wide Awake’ is as vibrant as the band has ever sounded, the clattering cowbell rhythm similar to fellow NYC’s dance-punk icons the Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. Its catchy, chanted chorus makes it the band’s most accessible track to date, but it still retains a distinct edge. Like Talking Heads, they sound cool even when they veer towards the mainstream.
Although Wide Awake! primarily tackles broader themes; Savage and Brown provide personal cuts in the form of ‘Freebird II’ and ‘Death Will Bring a Change’. The former has an upbeat melody that belies its difficult topics as Savage delves into his difficult upbringing, his mum suffering from addiction, but Savage ultimately chooses not to let dysfunction define him: “I feel free like you promised I’d be”. The latter explores grief, Brown’s sister dying aged sixteen in a tragic bus accident. It’s haunting, featuring chanted vocals from an NYC school choir, and the line “The bottom of the well is rich with bitter water” is incredibly profound. But there’s a beauty in there, too, Brown’s delivery juxtaposed nicely with the innocent tones of the choir.
‘Tenderness’ provides a bright finish with its jaunty, looped riffs, stomping bass, and chiming piano melody. The track’s closing lines give an appropriate conclusion: “But like power turns to mould, like a junkie going cold/I need the fix of a little tenderness”. While material possessions can provide a brief stimulation, they are no substitute for the lasting power of human connection. As Parquet Courts preach, collective power has the loudest chime. Bold, powerful, passionate, and brimming with energy, Wide Awake! is a bold experiment that pays off.