Spectreview: Noiya – Para(ll)els

Electro-rock couple Noiya burst out of the gate with a confident, emotional debut EP.

-DEEP PINK-

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“You fool them, you can’t fool yourself
That madness, you hide it well”

Songwriting couple Mia Faye and David James have largely operated in the background of Seattle’s sprawling folk scene, which is why it’s a pleasant surprise that Para(ll)els, their first foray into the spotlight as electro-rock outlet Noiya, is so engrossing. This confident, EP-length collection of songs maintains a focus on emotive storytelling while pulling from several styles at once, but the key to this record’s success is its overall sense of restraint. Trippy trip-hop opener “Head Talks” buries itself under the skin with an asymmetrical verse and a soft pulse that’s nonetheless dynamically versatile; obligatory Beach House guitars, meanwhile, anchor the self-lacerating “Empire,” although you’d be hard-pressed to find a Beach House track that contains such a gorgeous vocal harmony on the chorus. Though both artists showcase deft vocal talent, it’s Faye’s voice that arguably steals the show here: delicate without flimsiness, gentle yet commanding, she’s a perfect fit for the kind of sounds these two produce here. This is no truer than on “Limerence,” a show-stopping demonstration of smart songwriting that embodies the infatuation implied in its title; by the end the band lets loose with a climatic build, paying off that initial restraint in dividends. Para(ll)els might lean a little platitudinous at times, a little cheesy at others, but most emotional music requires that kind of compromise. It’s to Noiya’s credit that they come out of the gate with both a solid understanding of what they want to do and the skills to enact it so successfully.

Recommended post-meditation.