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 whoРІР‚в„ўve 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 creatorРІР‚в„ўs paralyzing misery, but a monument that honors its enormity-РІР‚СљI 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,РІР‚Сњ they sing on the opening РІР‚СљBeautiful World.РІР‚Сњ If that feeling scans as melodramatic, To See the Next Part of the Dream ensures itРІР‚в„ўs every bit as overwhelming as they say it is. Despite the internetРІР‚в„ўs endless possibilities for personal reinvention, Parannoul is an alias, not an alter ego. The only subjective fact: theyРІР‚в„ўre a student writing music in a Seoul bedroom. But the internal circumstances that inspired their phenomenal second album are indispensable and included in its de facto press release on Bandcamp: theyРІР‚в„ўre an РІР‚Сљactive loser,РІР‚Сњ РІР‚Сљbelow average in height, appearance and everything else,РІР‚Сњ a stunted adult with РІР‚Сљsinging skills are fucking awfulРІР‚Сњ chained to their adolescent fantasies of a middling career in indie rock. When I asked for this information, they demurred, admitting theyРІР‚в„ўre too embarrassed to identify themselves on the internet or even tell their parents they make music. The anonymous mastermind behind РЅРЉРЉР»С›Р‚Р»вЂ¦С‘РјСњвЂћ (Parannoul) has refused to reveal their name, their exact age, or whether anyone else is even involved with the making of To See the Next Part of the Dream.

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