By Ben Rayner

Parquet Courts’ newest single from Human Performance (out 4.8 on Rough Trade) may be called “Berlin Got Blurry,” but I can’t help but to think back to that time in music history when England got blurry, when white rockers began to integrate the island sounds of ska, dub, and reggae into punk rock and power pop. I hear those accented upbeats and classic names like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and The Clash immediately come to mind. For a band known for spastic fits of post-punk, “Berlin Got Blurry” is not only a departure, but also their strongest pop statement to date.