Parker Woodland - There’s No Such Thing As Time (2024)

Parker Woodland is an activist indie rock trio based in Austin, Texas, featuring Erin Walter (vocals, bass), Andrew Solin (guitar), and Keri Cinquina (drums). There’s No Such Thing As Time is their wonderful first full-length, a kind of concept album full of hope, arising from the belief that music can change the world (just listen and you can’t help but agree with that principle). It’s the truly fabulous vocals – powerful, multifaceted, emotional and haunting – that take center stage in the ten imaginative tracks here, but there’s also a lot of appealing stuff going on in the background. At its core, this is well-thought-out power-pop-punk, but there are so many catchy hooks, unexpected influences and effective tempo changes woven into it, that it stands completely on its own.

Standout tunes include Makeup (an infectious battle song for trans rights: “Call me by my new name // You just keep trying, but it’s still so tiring // You just keep fighting, cuz it hurts to hide”), Last Song on Earth (a dreamy last trip to an abandoned grocery before the end of the world, inspired by zombie film 28 Days Later and misheard lyrics from One Direction’s Best Song Ever), and The World’s On Fire (and We Still Fall in Love) (Parker Woodland’s beloved theme song that reminds us that we can find visceral jubilance in the face of annihilation, a shorter, tighter version of their 2021 debut single).