New Albums: Parquet Courts, Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop, M83

Parquet Courts
Human Performance

(Rough Trade ***1/2)

nolead ends Texas-born, Brooklyn-based indie foursome Parquet Courts have maintained a busy schedule since debuting with the cassette-only American Specialities in 2011, releasing five studio albums and two EPs (though two were recorded under the band's alter-ego name, Parkay Quarts). The punk spirit that animates the work of songwriters Andrew Savage and Austin Brown (and Sean Yeaton, who steps up with Human Performance's excellent ode to dislocation "I Was Just Here") dictates that the band refuses to sit still creatively, and they've worked to evolve rather than settle in on the Velvet Underground-to-Pavement continuum that's their ragged, jagged comfort zone.

But after the tough-to-listen-to, mostly instrumental EP Monastic Living, Human Performance is all about playing to the band's strengths, and lightening up a bit. The opening "Dust" is a jittery, droll disquisition on housekeeping laced with dry wit, and the fabulous "Berlin Got Blurry" is a travelogue rife with offhand profundities ("Nothing lasts, but everything lingers") boosted by garage-rock organ and winningly creepy, spy-music guitar licks. Their best album yet.

- Dan DeLuca

Parquet Courts, with B Boys, 9 p.m. May 11 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. Tickets: $17. Information: 215-232-2100, utphilly.com.

nolead begins Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop
nolead ends nolead begins Love Letter for Fire
nolead ends nolead begins (Sub Pop **)

nolead ends These two are cut from the same cloth - two folkie souls with similar paths and predilections. Both were raised religious (Beam, Christian; Hoop, Mormon). Both have had long, complex relationships with Mother Nature (Hoop's a California girl who tried on wilderness survival for a minute; it's one of Beam's favorite songwriting subjects). And both are outstanding collaborators, as is beautifully demonstrated on Love Letter. Their harmonizing, interweaving vocals are magically subtle.

Beam announced their full record and tour intentions by dropping "Every Songbird Says," a gauzy tune that teased the power in their entwined voices. "Welcome to Feeling," the opener, delicately introduces the LP's concept, but "One Way to Pray" heightens the theme with bits of Americana and old country. "We Two Are a Moon" smacks of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's She & Him - it's a little weird.

And though there's no shortage of pleasant music and vibes here, memorable, distinct tracks are lacking. Don't expect the pop vibes Beam channeled with the incredible 2011 Iron & Wine LP, Kiss Each Other Clean. Instead, it's all campfire kitsch fueled by naturalist, New Age spiritualism.

- Bill Chenevert

Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop, 8:30 p.m. May 24 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. Tickets: $30-$32. Information: 215-232-2100, utphilly.com.

nolead begins M83
nolead ends nolead begins Junk
nolead ends nolead begins (Mute, **1/2)

nolead ends You could be doofusy and call M83's Anthony Gonzalez a junk collector, a wrangler of vintage sounds meant to bug, soothe, or seduce at his whim. Attracted to the MIDI keyboards and snapping hollow drum patterns of the '80s, Gonzales and his cohort Justin Meldal-Johnsen find the (barely there) best art of noise existing between Miami Vice and Pretty in Pink (with Abacab thrown in) and milk it for the all the merry, maudlin romanticism they can. Junk winds up on the same block as M83's finest (e.g. 2011's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming), but takes weirdly kitschier roads to get there.

The cheesy dance-pop on Junk is cheesier ("Laser Gun"), the television theme-i-ness is theme-ier (the instrumental "Moon Crystal"), the anthemic mock-metal is faker ("Go!," with over-the-top guitarist Steve Vai), and its funk ("Time Wind," starring Beck) more finger-popping than ever. Junk is almost too '80s: the equivalent of wearing epaulettes while pouring Zima on your Nintendo.

Luckily, an eerie, afternoon-special-worthy "For the Kids" and a somber, reptilian ballad with a Stevie Wonder-ful harmonica solo ("Sunday Night 1987") move Junk from outrageous camp to jolly good fun.

- A.D. Amorosi