A Very Cozy Cage

Parts and Labor “Brighter Days” – The beauty of Parts and Labor is simple — they write anthemic pop-punk tunes, but replace the standard textures and dynamics of the genre with warped keyboards, severe electronic effects, and wild, heavy, inventive drumming. Their first two albums were good, but their new record Mapmaker is most definitely the best, the one where they fully deliver on their promise/premise by pushing everything to an extreme. The melodies are catchier; the arrangements are more vibrant; the drums simulate an exaggerated sense of space and depth, resulting in a record that sounds like it’s coming out of your speakers in 3-D. Like a lot of other things I’ve been loving in this year, it makes me wonder why this sort of thing isn’t more normal. Is it really that hard to tweak winning formulas and put in the effort required to rule? I guess I already know the answer to that question. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Shapes & Sizes, Dandi Wind, and Dog Day.