‘Painkiller’ is the second single from Oakland, California’s Parallel, following last month’s, ‘Blister’. The song is a dark jangle-pop moment, the track falling into the post-punk side of dream-pop. Vocals bear resemblance to the ghostly Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy, and the slow but steady guitar lines are reminiscent of The Cure at their most stripped back. Overall, the sonic palette is completely dreamy. It floats like a storm-cloud threatening rain, just as you think the song might unleash something unexpected on you, it goes back to it’s bones, back to it’s foundations of 80s goth-pop sensibility.
If you’re at all a fan of the gothic post-punk of the 1980s, or of the eastern european bands currently leading the genre, Parallel’s blend of spectral minimalism with nostalgic sounds may become your new soundtrack to those graveyard dwelling afternoons.
Pre-order the new mini LP in store or Bandcamp.
Written by Callum Foulds