Tess Parks is the love child of Francoise Hardy and Mark Lanegan. Parks produces a gritty smoke filled vocal range that croons to the mishaps of life. Although in Cocain Cat Parks concludes that 'yes, everything will be alright.'
If you have come across Tess Parks before it may have been because of Anton Newcombe of The Brain Jonestown Massacre. Parks and Newcombe collaborated on an album together that seemingly expanded both artists vast appeal to a droning psychedelic hypnotic rock n' roll.
There is a true attention to detail when it comes to a moody, hypnotic tension which is what Parks excels. By progressing further into a reverb/fuzz oriented base as an instrumental background Parks lays on a track of throat scratched grit ready for the taking.
The music video for Cocaine Cat shows Parks in the backseat of a car lighting up a cigarette. We travel along with Parks until day turns to evening and then night. And the entire difference is Parks breaks the fourth wall by engaging eye contact with the camera and lighting up more before the songs end. However, one feels an imminent danger possessed within Park's voice. A feeling of running away or towards something that the audience can not put their finger on. Otherwise Park's acts as a subconscious to the viewer's eye. The more Park's travels towards or away from her destination a sinking feeling become more apparent.
Whether or not you have heard of Tess Parks it is always great to give an artist a bit of your time for a few songs. Park's does fall into that slight psychedelic haze of pure shoegaze tones, yet adds a different advantage. Instead of the sugary vocals, Park's provides a grit noticeably absent from modern shoegaze tracks.
