The Parlophonics are a new band with an old, almost familiar feel to them. They sound like something straight out of the British Invasion that was prevalent in the mid-’60s. The Parlophonics consist of Robert Horvath, Fernando Perdomo, and Hugh Macdonald.
Despite their incredible sounding tracks that straddle a fine line between classic British pop and alternative rock, none of the members have ever actually been in the same room together. ‘A Day in the Life’ was formulated amid the worldwide covid pandemic and as a result, each song in the album was made by sending audio files back and forth between the band members. ‘A Day in the Life’ mimics that classic British ‘60s pop sound so well that it feels straight from Abbey Road.
The first track shares the same title as the album, It’s a happy acoustic song that does well to let you know what to expect from the rest of the album. It’s a self-reflective track that looks back on memories. The track doesn’t keep its themes ambiguous either, lyrics like “I sleep into a dream / I used to know” help to make the song’s themes more clear. The harmonies really steal the show in this song and help give the track a much grander scope. There are some great backing vocals on display here, particularly towards the latter half of the song
‘These Days’ is an incredibly upbeat track, with a sound that’s akin to The Beach Boys, its faster tempo works wonders - giving the song its much-needed depth. It’s another happy track, and it does really well to differ from the title track. There are the first of many great guitar solos throughout this album, which you’ll find at the 1:10 mark.
Next up it’s ‘Staring at the Sun’. Although The Parlophonic’s have said themselves that they draw inspiration for their sound from some of the British greats during the ‘60s and ‘70s. ‘Staring at the Sun’ sounds like it accumulates its inspiration from a much later era. There’s a lot of sounds in the track which have an incredibly ‘Oasis’ feel to them, which definitely isn’t a bad thing. Like the track before it, it’s very upbeat however this time it slows the tempo down just a little and adopts the classic 4/4-time signature.
‘Feel the Light’ feels like it should have been the title track. It’s the epitome of the sound that the bands trying to create, The song sounds like it's straight out of the mid-’60s and not in a way like it’s trying too hard to mimic the sound. It’s more than apparent that the track draws huge inspiration from The Beatles. It’s noticeable with the vocals that have an uncanny likeness to John Lennon's. The track manages to add some freshness too. Coming equipped with a great solo from the electric guitar, that gives the track a lot of energy and some well-needed punch.
‘It’s Alright’ is the final track on the album, and it feels like it earned its place as the closing track. It’s a slower track than the rest, but it feels like a perfect conclusion to a stellar album. It feels like the curtains are closing, that the albums finished, the stellar listening experience is sadly coming to a close. Despite this, its catchy chorus almost invites you in for another listen through. Vocalist Robert Horvath even makes a point about this, noting “It’s okay / If you want me to stay.” It's almost like he’s saying, “It’s alright if you want to have another listen, go on.”
‘A Day in the Life’ feels like an incredibly familiar album. It’s happy upbeat melodies bouncing off the walls of our memories. It draws its inspiration from some of Britain’s greatest artists throughout the years, all the way from The Beatles to Oasis. Despite this, the album still manages to bring a lot of freshness to a more than familiar sound.
Liam Russell
Image: A Day in the Life Offical Album Artwork
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