Officially this album dropped back in 2008 in a self-released version, and from what I can tell from some rather extensive internet cruising, Dine Alone Records’ release is little more than a re-branding. Parlovr’s brand of self-described “sloppy pop” is right at home as a DIY manifestation, but really, there aren’t any production flaws to speak of, so why bother re-recording? It’s certainly not what I’d describe as clean production, but clearly, that’s not what this three-piece was shooting for. It seems like the only thing they really are shooting for is their own identity separate from their Montreal brethren. Granted, there are a few overlapping tendencies with many of their fellow Canadians, but they only come through in brief flashes. There’s the totally bonkers drumming and shout-singing from Arcade Fire, the mutilated pop brilliance of Nick Thorburn, the quick-change hard and soft dynamics like Broken Social Scene, and the thoroughly fascinating duality of two lead vocalists like Wolf Parade. The thing is, once you think you’ve got their dynamic figured out, they’ve moved onto something new. Let’s just hope Alex Cooper doesn’t split the vote with his own little Sunset Rubdown.

The band name Parlovr, while looking like the vanity plate of a golf enthusiast, is actually pronounced parlour (or parlor if you‘re from ‘Mer’ca). The only real defense of this bit of verbal trickery I can think of is: looks can be deceiving. This act makes one hell of a lot more noise than you might think possible of a three-piece, and despite the lack of bass, the treble really never gets too overwhelming. Basically, whatever you think you know about the band, you’re wrong.

Don’t believe me? Give a listen to the sonic boom that starts off the album on “Pen to the Paper,” bearing in mind it’s just two guitars and drums. Parlovr make some big, big noise, but unlike BSS or Arcade Fire, they don’t need a band member count in the double digits to pull it off. They’re incredibly basic on paper, but their sonic sleight of hand is more than a little bewildering. “Sandwalking” slows down the momentum a little and legitimately sounds like a three-piece, making it feel like the group is finding a niche , but two minutes in finds the boys busting out of that tidy little box with some groovy drumming and vocal squawks that make “Crown of Love” sound amateurish. It’s not all about shirking normalcy however. “On the Phone” with its tinkling xylophone and charming “oohs” and “Hiccup!” with its hooky riff chugging along throughout make pretty good candidates for pop songs. But again, “Sever My Ties” comes along and blows everything you think about the first four tracks right out of the water with downright daffy energy. And then, here we go again, our boys throw us for yet another loop with the acoustic guitar and 1980s keys of “Speech Bubble/Thought Cloud,” which carries us through a smart six-minute examination of the sometimes disparaging distance between words and feelings in relationships, making for what is easily the standout track of the LP.

If nothing else, Parlovr prove their erratic tendencies aren’t so much a lack of focus as an exhibition of a plethora of good ideas. It might seem like a band struggling to carve out their own unique slice of the Montreal scene, but really, that struggle is their slice. In some ways, these guys represent bits and pieces of all of what makes the Montreal scene so exciting, but really, they are doing what nobody else is. There’s no point in wondering whether the group is coming or going, when after these eleven tracks, it’s clear Parlovr are here to stay.

Track List:
1. Pen to the Paper
2. Sandwalking
3. On the Phone
4. Hiccup!
5. Sever My Ties
6. Speech Bubble/Thought Cloud
7. In Your House
8. Archy & Mehitabel
9. Sleeping Horses
10. Palace of Identical Things
11. All the World is All That is the Case