Parts & Labor – Cargo, London 19/02/09

-
Photograph by Marcus Moxham

Amongst the relentless stream of generic guitar-strumming dullards and tiresome ‘eccentrics’ one finds filling in support slots around the country, you occasionally uncover a real gem. This was certainly the case at Battles’ show at the Koko in 2007, where the formidable avant-garde rockers were almost upstaged by three young upstarts from Brooklyn. Assaulting the senses with a barrage of melodic noise-rock and tumultuous drums played at ear-splitting volumes, Parts & Labor immediately marked themselves out as a band to watch. Since then, they’ve gained a new member, a slightly poppier sound and judging by the crammed environs of the Cargo, a vastly expanded fan base (their previous headline show barely attracted forty people).

Much of their appeal lies with the exceptional talents of Joe Wong, who may look like a displaced accountant but performs quite wondrous feats of percussive skill without breaking a sweat. Watching him rattle off some ridiculously fast drum solo with obvious ease never fails to impress, a claim that alas, cannot be levelled at Dan Friel’s vocals. Despite their epic quality on record, they come across as unfortunately shrill tonight, although drenched under a flood of instrumentation they’re practically inaudible anyway. On a more positive note, new addition Sarah Lipstate is a welcome presence, beefing up the guitar parts and allowing Friel to concentrate more on the synths and their stage presence has improved too. At their best when delivering a heady rush of clattering cymbals and distorted guitars (‘The Gold We’re Digging’) or overdriven Marnie Stern-style wailage (“New Crimes”), it’s a shame the newer “Receivers” material accentuates the emo leanings that’s always vaguely lurked under their surface. True, it’s catchy stuff and performed with such vigour that it’s impossible to dislike, but there’s a fear that they may be moving away from the qualities that made me fall in love with them in the first place. But the fact remains that they’re still one of the most scintillating live acts around, and if they resist the temptation to sacrifice their more interesting elements for mainstream appeal they’ll continue to be a band well worth your time.

Parts & Labor on MySpace