Parts & Labor
Receivers
Play Receivers
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AMG Review of Receivers
Ned Raggett
All Music GuideParts & Labor may still be stuck with a "noise" tag for some time to come, but whatever the intent of the group, and having once again switched drummers (Joseph Wong does the honors this time out), the band hits an astonishing new high on Receivers. It's not going too far to say that the group is one of the best exponents of the kind of epic turn underground rock & roll experienced in the '80s, but refracted through later prisms -- most notably, a strong willingness to engage with electronic options beyond feedback pedals. So if every song could almost be an anthem in one universe or another, a tune like "Nowheres Nigh" feels like a summery pop hit yet itself is slathered with cryptic echo and sonic touches which complement rather than drown the performance. This basic model -- a tension between immediate singalong impact and headspinning "wait, what?" -- replays throughout much of the album, with Parts & Labor's best sense being their ability never to sound like they're actually repeating themselves. If "Satellites" serves as a clear statement of intent upfront -- what could late-'60s chanting acid/psych vocals be against a nervous new wave angularity -- the fact that the song gets bigger and more dramatic as it goes without ever being some overblown disaster is a wonder to behold. Other such standouts of an easygoing, unforced magpie nature towards creating memorable songs -- the fuzzy beats and melodic drones underpinning the distanced but still strong singing of "The Ceasing Now," or the slow, assured build of the elegant "Wedding in a Wasteland" -- make Receivers one of 2008's standouts, an open-minded rock record that relies on a wide array of familiar signifiers but never once sounds like it could have been recorded or released any earlier than it was.
Parts & Labor - Receivers
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The large shuddering drums have been scaled back, guitar parts are more expressive, and the vocals have gained overt melody, but is it all for the best?
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Parts & Labor - Receivers
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Initially I was shocked when I pressed play on the new Parts & Labor album. Where was the drone, the feedback, the dirty dirty bass sound. This sounded polished was unlike anything I'd heard on Stay Afraid, an album which has been on constant rotation for me since I became aware of this amazing, innovative [...]
More >
Parts & Labor - Receivers
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Artist:
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Album:
Initially I was shocked when I pressed play on the new Parts & Labor album. Where was the drone, the feedback, the dirty dirty bass sound. This sounded polished was unlike anything I'd heard on Stay Afraid, an album which has been on constant rotation for me since I became aware of this amazing, innovative [...]
More >
FUCK YEAH: New Parts & Labor
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MP3: Parts & Labor - Nowheres Nigh Holy shit: Parts & Labor made a pop record! I was going to take today off to relax and bring some comics back to the library, but then I heard "Nowheres Nigh" off of the band's new record "Receivers" and I couldn't resist. Since we last left the dudes , they lost a drummer and picked one right up as well as a new addition in a guitarist to boot; not sure ...
More >
Parts & Labor - Receivers
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Artist:
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Album:
The large shuddering drums have been scaled back, guitar parts are more expressive, and the vocals have gained overt melody, but is it all for the best?
More >
 "Receivers")
