Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2012 Ratings: #42 / 1118
User Score
Based on 439 ratings
2012 Rank: #108
Liked by 28 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Fly

An album of urgent art-punk verve and rattling brevity, its 15 songs pass in 33 raucous and immediately re-listenable minutes.

90
NME

The entire record is as premeditated and grounded in US alt.rock history as you can get.

90
DIY

It's punk unbounded, both structurally and emotionally. When you hear this record, and no doubt when you see this band, everything lets loose.

82
Beats Per Minute

Just as likely to crank out indie rock shorthand as they are to actually dig down deep into the genre, Parquet Courts nonetheless take every opportunity afforded them to rattle your eardrums and cause the inevitable bout of whiplash.

80
Pitchfork

Light Up Gold finds Parquet Courts looking to breakout through any available means: intense reflection, resin hits, or rock'n'roll.

80
Consequence of Sound

Light Up Gold may sound like a string of slacker anthems, but it’s so much deeper than that. 

80
No Ripcord

Light Up Gold comes off as the quintessential basement punk album, with each track sounding as if they were effortlessly performed and recorded one right after the other in a single take.

80
musicOMH

It’s a record that you are certain you have heard before when you listen to it for the first time. Yet rather than this being a negative, it is instead a sure fire sign of a great album.

75
The 405

While everything may not stick on first listen because of the fast-paced approach, there's more than enough to entice the listener back for more.

70
The Needle Drop

On Light Up Gold, Parquet courts dishes out numerous servings of quirky, lean, snarky, and poetic post-punk with americana tendencies.

60
PopMatters

There’s enough that’s interesting and/or good about Light Up Gold to give it a solid recommendation, with the caveat that Savage’s voice is likely an acquired taste.

Bobby792003
85

Have you ever wanted to go to Texas, but never got the chance to? Well, Parquet Courts’ ‘Light Up Gold’ comes pretty close to it! With its never-ending energy, ‘Light Up Gold’ will make you live it up like the Texans do!

This album starts with the one-two punch of “Master of My Craft” and “Borrowed Time”. The songs are about arrogant businessmen and depression respectively, but I don’t believe the appeal of this album lies in the ... read more

MusicSucks
85

I'VE MASTERED MINECRAFT

verniers
89

THIS IS WHAT POST-PUNK IS SUPPOSED TO BE IT IS SO INSANELY GOOD I LOVE THIS ALBUM TO DEATH WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok but in all seriousness this album is great, the energy combined with the roughness, the riffs are always SO ADDICTIVE, and the ideas are executed so well, the themes are funny and important, AND BY GOD CAN THIS MAKE ME LAUGH like seriously donuts only is one of the funniest songs i've heard in a long time. this project makes me want to slam my head against a wall, run ... read more

MeLikeTones
90

Modern punk classic. Excellent song writing. Andrew Savage is so handsome. Reminiscent of Minutemen.

The transition from Master of My Craft to Borrowed Time never gets old.

DrakeBonna
83

Favourite Tracks:

Master Of My Craft
Borrowed Time
Yonder is Closer to the Heart
Light Up Gold II
Disney PT
Picture of Health

sseward12
93

Texan slacker Pink Flag.

Crown Jewel: Stoned and Starving
Other Favorites: Disney P.T, Light Up Gold II, Master of My Craft, Borrowed Time, N Dakota, Donutes Only, Tears O' Plenty

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Added on: December 5, 2012