Pærish – Rita Review

Recently, I’ve noticed that many bands have started reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, realising that the music they made during a solemn time for all of us was, as you might expect, a bit depressing. The pandemic had many musicians working within strict boundaries, such as collaborating remotely, recording music in makeshift home studios, and trying to promote music without tours.

This music, some bands are finding, lacks the energy for live performances or has been created in such a way that performing live just isn’t feasible. One of those bands is French emo/indie outfit Pærish, who, after touring their last album, You’re In Both Dreams…, wanted to put out something that made the crowd jump. According to bassist Martin Dupraz, they think that their new album Rita “was the perfect answer to that. We want people go crazy, and this is the perfect album for that.”

And honestly, he’s not wrong. The album kicks off immediately with the track Prince of Darkness, a high-energy emo-pop banger that makes you want to kick away your chair and start jumping around. There are still the usual shoegazy vibes from Pærish here, but it’s way more in-your-face, and I like that. A great way to kick off a record.

Interestingly, the song’s name isn’t a reference to the late Ozzy Osbourne but instead to the movie by John Carpenter – one of vocalist and guitarist Mathias Court’s favourite movies and something he jokingly referred to as himself following a toxic working relationship. These early life experiences are a lot of what Rita is about; even the album name is a reference to a church named after the religious patron saint of desperate and impossible causes, which Court could see from his childhood home.

A lot of the songs in Rita lean more toward high-energy indie rock than the more solemn, contemplative shoegaze Pærish is known for. That’s not to say this isn’t present, because it is; tracks such as Always Assuming and Strawberry are far more held back in terms of that raw grit we hear in earlier tracks.

The juxtaposition of energy between some of the tracks is almost a clash of titans on this record, with fast-paced riffs, crunching bass, and pounding drums kickstarting your heart, only to be brought back down to earth with reverb-drenched walls of sound and haunting vocals.

One thing I really enjoy about this album is just how big and full the songs on this album sound. It feels warm and well-balanced. Of course, that comes as no surprise when Will Yip is at the production desk. His way of capturing a band’s live essence in recordings is second to none, and I always enjoy the work he puts out with the bands he collaborates with. It’s loud without being too overwhelming; the more held-back songs feel powerful, and despite the album having varied pacing between tracks, it all sounds cohesive and well put together.

A number of the songs on Rita have elements that are instantly memorable, whether it’s the ethereal flute melody in Heal or the anthemic chorus in What You Want, Pærish have a knack for creating something that feels familiar after the first listen, and I applaud that. In a world where attention spans are getting shorter, being able to create something that gets into listeners’ heads immediately is commendable.