Picture Parlour - The Parlour

After releasing debut single ‘Norwegian Wood’ in 2023, Picture Parlour were met with an immediate cascade of praise - one which even included an endorsement from Courtney Love. Two years later, their rise has been steadier than that flash-in-the-pan start suggested it would be, and the wait has paid off. Here, the band sound like they’ve been ripped straight from the ‘70s - indeed, one needs look no further than their Pink Floyd-inspired album cover or guitarist Ella Risi’s swaggering, Zeppelin-esque riffs (see: ‘Cielo Drive’) to be transported back in time. Throughout ‘The Parlour’, raw, uncut electric guitar drives Katherine Parlour’s blazing vocals, with pure rock’n’roll spirit carrying them through - think Amy Winehouse fronting T. Rex. But while they tap into the nostalgic pull of a decade long gone, they still make a familiar sound feel new. There are moments where it’s hard to believe this is a debut: ‘Norwegian Wood’ is mesmeric, with Katherine’s husky rasp oozing soul and intent. The ease with which the band deliver the chorus of ‘Talk About It’ manifests experience beyond their years, while the psychedelic synths at the end of ‘$4 Fantasy’ show that no detail has gone unnoticed. In other moments, their eagerness gets ahead of them: the second half of ‘Around the Bend’, true to its name, meanders a little, while at others, they risk overshadowing themselves with their influences. Melodically, ‘Used To Be Your Girlfriend’ is fantastic, but at certain points, it also sounds uncannily similar to Arctic Monkeys’ ‘That’s Where You’re Wrong’. This is a commendable debut, demonstrating conceptual richness and hinting at immense potential. If ‘The Parlour’ is anything to go by, Picture Parlour’s eventual breakthrough into the mainstream feels inevitable.