Parannoul sees themselves as a fan more than a musician, and the clarity of their reference points inspires awe-inducing dream dates: The Radio Dept. The low-end is imperceptible and though they sing brutally despondent lyrics in Korean, the vocals are mixed low enough to function as texture for listeners assuming the usual sweet nothings of shoegaze. The guitars are almost always either coppery acoustics or saturated fuzz, with nothing in between. Like many shut-ins who’ve internalized the shame in their singing voice or instrumental prowess, Parannoul primarily works in shoegaze and bedroom-pop. To See the Next Part of the Dream is littered with time-stamped references like Welcome the NHK!, Goodnight Punpun and, more disturbingly, All About Lily Chou Chou, a pitch-black cult favorite that layered gauzy cinematography atop a brutal story of high school kids committing unspeakable acts of bullying. In the music, there is no happiness to be found in the present or the future, only bittersweet memories of youth wasted on the young and the good times that never were-specifically, the early 2000s. To See the Next Part of the Dream is not an antidote to its creator’s paralyzing misery, but a monument that honors its enormity-“I wish no one had seen my miserable self/I wish no one had seen my numerous failures/I wish my young and stupid days to disappear forever,” they sing on the opening “Beautiful World.” If that feeling scans as melodramatic, To See the Next Part of the Dream ensures it’s every bit as overwhelming as they say it is. Despite the internet’s endless possibilities for personal reinvention, Parannoul is an alias, not an alter ego. The only subjective fact: they’re a student writing music in a Seoul bedroom.
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