Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold

Light Up Gold is Parquet Courts’ full‑length debut (following an earlier cassette-only release), first issued in August 2012 and reissued in January 2013.

The album layers sharp-edged indie rock with post-punk and Americana sensibilities, yielding short, punchy tracks imbued with wit and restless energy. The opener Master of My Craft segues into Borrowed Time, setting a tone of sardonic urgency, while Careers in Combat delivers a brisk sociopolitical jab at job scarcity. The standout Stoned & Starving expands into a slightly longer, hypnotic groove. Despite its raw production, the album is tightly composed and thematically coherent, earning widespread praise and ranking among the best releases of its year.