The creative freedom of being a one-man home recording project is boundless, and New York-based Parent Teacher takes full advantage on his sophomore full-length Ethereal Collapse. This freedom is evident in the art direction, which mistakenly made me assume the record to sound like a blend of horrorpunk and psych pop, but it’s truly present in the music.
While Parent Teacher’s music has been described as folktronica — a label that does fit many of the songs on Ethereal Collapse, to my ears it doesn’t capture the full picture. Parent Teacher draws from a much wider range of influences than just folk and electronica, allowing them to flow freely throughout this sprawling collection of eccentric and poppy indie rock tunes. The opening trio of Devolution, Lunch Break, and Firestarter is particularly impressive. These tracks transport me back to the 2000s, a time when I enjoyed listening to bands like The Unicorns and Islands. Parent Teacher also cites Prefab Sprout, The Sea and Cake, Slowdive, Elliott Smith, Ride, and Blonde Redhead as influences.
A major appeal of Ethereal Collapse lies in its contradictions. It’s lo-fi yet rich, featuring an amazing vocal performance while also managing to rock. It’s a special record with a lot to offer for wide-open-eared and open-minded listeners.
Ethereal Collapse is out now on Wilbur & Moore and Lonely Ghost Records.
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