Following up from their 2008 debut, And You Were A Crow, New Jersey natives The Parlor Mob release their sophomore album, Dogs. The band has grown after being on the road and now brings a heavier experimental sound mixed with their already infamous indie rock.
Coming out of the shadows and “Into The Sun,” the band brings on thicker guitars and bass with rumbling drums for fans to feed on. Much of the album carries on with this theme. Some punchy tracks are “How’s It Going To Be,” “American Dream” and “Fall Back.” Songs with the most groove are “I Want To See You” and “Take What’s Mine.”
The record isn’t all about angst, but is a something of a balancing act when softer tracks like “Hard Enough,” “Slip Through My Hands” and “Holding On” fill out the second disc. “Hard Enough” is about living life on the road and leaving your loved ones behind. “Slip Through My Hands” is about learning from your past, fixing your demons and remembering what you’ve done wrong so you can keep history from repeating itself.
In the very end, tracks like, “Holding On” and “The Beginning” are what it’s all about: To live life one day at a time, continue to give all you’ve got and to move forward from the past. It is safe to say The Parlor Mob really poured their heart, blood, tears and soul into this “darkness to light” release.
In A Word: Experimental
Parlor Mob will be playing the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on Friday, Oct. 14.
