Parts & Labor – Constant Future

Parts and Labor’s sixth noise-rock album bursts into 12 electric-led and thunderous battles – and all of them sound like richly illustrated tales of victory. With 10 years behind them, Parts & Labor have definitely found a structure they like. Lack of variation works in their favour here: these songs are narrated by clear electric guitar melodies riding on top of drums pounding and kicking sound higher and higher until you’ve got a personal hurricane in your headphones. Dan Friel and B.J. Warshaw’s harmonies are magnified and deep, lending an almost religious and kingly feel to this record. “Echo Chamber” has a vaguely Irish intro, quickly punctuated by measured shots of pummelling drums. “Bright White” is pretty unremarkable with its constant fuzziness, but “Pure Annihilation” has no shortage of hooks. Definitely a must-listen for fans of Japanther, Obits, and Dan Friel. (JMZ records, www.jmzrecords.com) Adrienne Yeung