Montreal young blood James Parm is a highly gifted singer-songwriter with a penchant for experimentation. His work feels both novel and bold, sounding vaguely familiar, yet clearly standing apart from contemporary indie rock.
The Vinyl District is pleased to premiere his newest single, “Re Arrange,” from the superlative debut LP, Oh My Darling, which arrives in stores this Friday. It’s a tastefully crafted track with the kind of lilting melody that brings to mind OK Computer-era Radiohead and latter-day Elliott Smith.
As the song cycles through its formalities and reaches the third verse, an odd wave of pink noise begins to engulf the singer, and before we know it the melodic framework has completely retooled itself into a string-laden mellotron sound collage that feels akin to Jon Brion composing the soundtrack to The Shining.
It goes without saying that “Re Arrange” is more than just a play on words. It’s a wily musical gem that satiates both the need for melodic certainty and the desire to be challenged by something completely new.
