Parannoul channels nostalgia and optimism into the radically uplifting Sky Hundred

Sky Hundred could rightfully have the same name, but it’s apt enough. Its abrasion is sunkissed and reaches far into the stratosphere, a pile of infinite sunsets stacked on one another reaching past my line of sight. Much like its parent record, this conjured visual is a promise of endless beauty and contentedness, an eternity of second chances. Parannoul haven’t just released their finest record here, they’ve also met with their secret, ultimate goal: craft in music form a reason to be alive.

Every Parannoul record subtly shifts the texture of their trademark distortion, from brittle earlier on to shoegazey & enveloping now. It appears here as supremely warm to the ear, blistering yet hazy like a scorching Summer evening. It almost reminds me (both in texture & album cover) to Fennesz’s Endless Summer, with both understanding how overwhelming power and pop melodies work wonders together.

Parannoul’s previous After the Magic was their largest crossover into true-blue pop songwriting, with propulsive rhythms, arena-sized hooks, and lush orchestration, leaving Sky Hundred to be accused of being a regression. It dials back the extra instrumentation except for a few key moments & ramps the fuzz back into orbit; make no mistake, however, maturity is more than just what you can add. In taking a stylistic step back after their breakout, Parannoul can return to previous aesthetics with clarity, practice, and most importantly, budget. Sky Hundred, instead of blowing its allotment on the seduction of more, provides a widescreen view to a previously messy image. It’s never been so clear what we’re crying about.

Maybe it’s indie brain-rot, maybe it’s countless hours dueting “Bodys” with my wife, but some aspect of the record feels unmistakably Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) here; the bouncy synths on “Lights of Repentance” being a dead-ringer to “Cute Thing” don’t help. Both see a visionary looking back and moving forward at the same time to make their most emotionally charged record to date; the difference is that Parannoul have summoned a cloud of audible daggers to live atop their songs.

The Hansel & Gretel breadcrumb trail you’re finding here is that Sky Hundred evokes many, many adjacent records from all across the music sphere, in aesthetics, narrative choices, song structure, and more. However, it’s a rare instance of those evocations feeling earned instead of stolen. They’re not ripping off any ideas, as the lava pool of distortion covering their dish is surely protection enough, but inlaying songs nods here and there. It’s a towering structure, reminding you of nostalgic evenings, warm memories, and every good musical experience you’ve had. Look far enough into the static, and you’ll hear anything sing back to you.