Parcels – ‘Loved’ album review: The unfiltered sound of collaboration
Let’s get one thing absolutely clear: five-part harmonies are not as easy to execute for a band as they might sound.
Almost like watching a gymnast somersault down a four-inch beam, they glide with effortless ease, almost desensitising us to the genuine skill required. For two albums now, Parcels have attributed to that toxicity by foregrounding their groove-laden instrumental pockets with stunning air-tight harmonies. Somehow, on Loved, they’ve got even better.
That collective harmony undoubtedly comes from a shared love, vision and sonic obsession. Whether it’s the sunny climates of Australia or the bohemian haze of Berlin, this quintet of musical brothers have created a cocoon of textural music that ultimately lives within their own sphere. Loved was recorded across all of the band’s geographical touchpoints of influence, allowing the sonic tightness to unwind and more lightly dance around the leading harmonies.
Because on Loved they brazenly wear their soft funk influences on their sleeve, but with a more careful consideration. Where their debut album bathed in a typically Berlin-inspired electronic palette, Loved seemingly goes back to its roots. Upstroked guitars àla Nile Rodgers rain down on suitably joyous tracks like ‘Thinkaboutit’ and ‘Yougotmefeeling’, which together represent the quintessential idea of a band like this. If the uninitiated were told this was a five-piece band inspired by funk and disco, singing in harmonies, this would undoubtedly satiate your appetite.
But where the band have elevated their sound on this record is in the more cautious sonic takes that could almost be labelled ballads. The seventh track, ‘Everybodyelse’, introduces us to the idea by riding a sultry R&B-inspired arrangement that simply begs Anatole ‘Toto’ Serret’s drum beat to drag along with style.
It’s followed up with ‘Summerinlove’ which follows in a similar vein, before the closing tracks ‘Finallyover’ and ‘Iwanttobeyourlightagain’ fully cement this idea that the band have tenderness in their locker.
All of these moments are allowed to happen from bassist Noah Hill’s almost lynchpin-like role in the album. It’s R&B in its purest essence, delivering heavy, monotonous tones throughout the entire record that perfectly offset the delicacy of the melodies. Without the weight of his performances on every single track, the band would once again be hemmed into the idea that dense melodic arrangements are the star of the show. With every note, he gives the band a second to breathe, assess and pursue the next sonic corner with intent.
But the star of this entire record is without question the harmonies. They are razor sharp, technically astounding and forever charming, leaving you wanting more of them at the close of every song. There is undoubtedly some form of instrumental repetition in this record, and at times, it’s almost a little too shiny – the sort of shine that would inspire LED wristbands at a gig – but the harmonies that run through those moments make it hard to outrightly dislike.
At the end of the day, this is at the very heart of it, a band operating in complete freedom, embracing their innate sensibilities, and there is a whole heap of charm in that.
Defining track: ‘Thinkaboutit’.
For fans of: People forever curious about whether or not they would suit a moustache.
A concluding comment from me, to Far Out’s Kelly Scanlon: “Modern music isn’t over the harmony just yet.”
Release date: September 12th, 2025 | Producer: Jules Crommelin and Patrick Hetherington | Label: Because Music
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.