Parlors’ single “Stucco” is a mindful composition that intentionally draws on a combination of contemporary and classic elements to create a track that’s both haunting and melodic.
The song’s defining sound was inspired by the television show “Westworld,” the lyrics sample themes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and Damned,” and its overall composition evokes CCR and Arctic Monkeys. Parlors’ varied influences give the single depth, delivering a song full of both old-world desert grit and modern urban energy.
Following in the footsteps of the band’s 2019 single “Lemon Ice,” (labeled “easy to appreciate… worth repeated listens” by imPRESSED), “Stucco” begs to be heard live, charging forward with measured yet infectious energy. The main melodic line winds through the verses and the pre-chorus, ensuring that it’s stuck in the audience’s head before the powerful chorus even arrives. Slick production and a reverb-drenched chorus make this the perfect song for cruising under city lights, even as the unmistakable twang of southwest influence brings to mind red dirt and melancholy tumbleweeds.
As befitting a song named “Stucco,” the melody was first picked out on a second-hand guitar that was bartered for in Arizona, the song was finished on a trip out into the California desert, and the lyrics of the song look to strip away some of the perfect artificial façade we’re so used to seeing. “The song essentially tells the story of reconnecting with someone after some time away, and realizing you’re both no longer the same people you had been envisioning,” says Dan Fullam (drums). “For better or worse, our real-life versions are always flawed.”
Parlors’ third single, “Stucco” captures this theme musically by juxtaposing gritty guitars with the band’s most melodic riffs to date.
“We feel that “Stucco” shows a poised step forward in songwriting, while still maintaining our core sound,” says Fullam. “We’re excited to explore some new terrain with our last single of this year [expected to be released in November], but ‘Stucco’ feels like the proper culmination of the songs we have put out to date.”
“Stucco” was released on September 20th.