''Monastic Living'' is an EP by the American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band

Parquet Courts Parquet Courts is an American rock band from New York City. The band consists of Andrew Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Sean Yeaton (bass, vocals), and Max Savage (drums). History Band members Andrew Savage a ...

, released on November 27, 2015, on

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pun ...

. The release features mostly improvised instrumental and experimental recordings.

Background and recording

Comparing the EP to the band's first studio album, ''

American Specialties ''American Specialties'' is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Parquet Courts, initially released in 2011 as a limited edition cassette on Cut the Cord That... Records. A vinyl version of the album was subsequently released on Pinb ...

'' (2011), Andrew Savage noted that the release marked a deliberate departure from their previous work: "''Monastic Living'' felt like a cycle in the band starting over again. 'Monastic Living'' and ''American Specialties''have a very similar relationship in that they are very different sounding than anything else the band has done. ..It became apparent that we’ve got all this material that is experimental and drone-y and less song-based and more concept-based, so obviously these songs need to have their own record." The release was mostly improvised by the band, with Savage stating: "The first Parquet Courts practice was me and Austin rowngetting together and playing guitar at the same time and stumbling into these ideas. Improvisation has always been part of Parquet Courts. We’ve had songs that have been written onstage, like "Bodies Made Of" was written onstage in Portland. ''Monastic Living'' was our first time doing pure improvisation."

Critical reception

In a negative review for Pitchfork, Jazz Monroe criticized the band's change in direction, writing: "The band are touring the album and we can buy it, though I’m unsure why anyone would—perhaps its existence as a paid-for product is part of the statement. What it means for the band’s future is, for now, a mystery, though not the kind it is fun to unravel." In a slightly more positive review, Ben Carney of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' wrote that "ultimately, the project serves best as a check-in, letting fans know where the band's heads are at after a year on the road. And although both fans and newcomers alike would benefit from a more substantial, cohesive project, it's enough for now."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2015 EPs Parquet Courts albums