Picture Parlour – ‘The Parlour’ album review: A new classic album
For all the people who like to moan that there’s no ‘real music’ anymore or that rock and roll died a death at the end of the 1970s – shut up, sit down, and hit play on Picture Parlour’s debut album The Parlour.
The Skinny: The story of Picture Parlour is one for the ages. Singer Katherine Parlour and guitarist Ella Risi had barely unpacked their bags in London when their first gig at Brixton’s Windmill sent their band name into the stratosphere, gaining a co-sign from Courtney Love, and creating a media storm surrounding them before they even had a debut single.
“What the hell is going on? You open the door, and it felt like we peek through, and everything was just on fire. And we were like, ‘No, close that door,’” that was Parlour’s take on it all. When the band could have easily scrapped together a record quickly to cash in on the attention, they ran in the other direction – towards more live shows, towards the cinema and, eventually, towards a studio in America.
Those three components characterise The Parlour. Live shows inform it as these are songs built to be played live. I can attest to the fact that Parlour’s voice sounds as roaring and incredible live as it does on tape here, she’s like if Robert Plant was born in the body of a Gen-Z scouser, it’s insane.
And in Ella Risi, she’s found her Jimmy Page. It’s the sort of partnership that seems destined, pushing each other forward as already musical choices made on The Parlour are so far beyond any of their prior singles. You only need to get a verse and a chorus into the huge opener ‘Cielo Drive’ for proof of that.
As for the cinema, each and every song is a movie in itself. ‘Neptune 66’ is a David Lynch creation, red and strange and glamourous. ‘Talk About It’ is a coming-of-age romance. ‘Ronnie’s Note #3’ is a cowboy wandering alone. Every song is packed with vision as Katherine Parlour dives into her own pool of references and emerges as a powerful lyricist.
And as for America, this unique world they’ve made, seeing The Parlour as an imaginary space where the band hid out during that period of intense public attention, is undeniably in the States. The sounds of their Nashville studio and producer Gabe Simon meet the band in the middle – they bring London, Liverpool, Manchester and movies, Simon brings the classic American rock polish. The finished product is something sure to stand the test of time.
The Verdict: If you’re looking for proof that good things are worth patience – look here. Picture Parlour’s decision to deny the calls for quick hits has resulted in a record that could very well go down in history as a modern classic. Rock and roll never went anywhere, but with this band, it’s exciting again.
Stand out track: ‘Neptune 66’
Release date: November 14th, 2025 | Producer: Gabe Simon | Label: Island/EMI Label Group
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