Jukebox: Parquet Courts - "Smart Aleck Kid"

I can’t stress enough the extent of my boyish excitement upon learning Parquet Courts had put out a new song as the B-side to the excellent “Borrowed Time.” Like so many cuts from their second album, Light Up Gold, “Smart Aleck Kid” blasts off without a warning shot. What follows is a bit of a punk rock “Flight of the Bumblebees.” The band sets personal records in both speed and snark. If you’re familiar with their past material, that may seem unfathomable. Sure, it’s a bummer that the high-speed snarl keep the lyrics obscured, but the delivery is spot-on, as evocative as some of the band’s best poetry. That’s really saying something. Stream “Smart Aleck Kid” here. It won’t take long.