Human Performance
{{about|the Parquet Courts album|the peer-reviewed journal|Human Performance (journal)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Human Performance
| type = studio
| artist = Parquet Courts
| cover = Human Performance (Front Cover).png
| alt =
| released = April 8, 2016
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Indie rock|art punk|experimental rock|post-punk|garage rock{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Josh |title=The 50 Best Garage Rock Albums of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/garage-rock/the-50-best-garage-rock-albums-of-all-time |website=pastemagazine |access-date=5 April 2023}}}}
| length = 42:20
| language = English
| label = Rough Trade
| producer =
| prev_title = Monastic Living
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = Milano
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Human Performance
| type = studio
| single1 = Dust
| single1date = February 4, 2016
| single2 = Berlin Got Blurry
| single2date = February 25, 2016
| single3 = Outside
| single3date = March 24, 2016
| single4 = Human Performance
| single4date = April 6, 2016
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| MC = 82/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/human-performance/parquet-courts |title=Reviews for Human Performance by Parquet Courts |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=April 25, 2016}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/human-performance-mw0002924542 |title=Human Performance – Parquet Courts |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=April 15, 2016 |last=Sendra |first=Tim}}
| rev2 = The A.V. Club
| rev2Score = A−{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/review/parquet-courts-make-anxiety-and-detachment-sound-r-234282 |title=Parquet Courts make anxiety and detachment sound refreshing |work=The A.V. Club |date=April 8, 2016 |accessdate=April 25, 2016 |last=Warwick |first=Kevin}}
| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev3Score = A−{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/12/parquet-courts-human-performance-ew-review |title=Parquet Courts' Human Performance: EW Review |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=April 12, 2016 |accessdate=April 25, 2016 |last=Brown |first=Eric Renner |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415095307/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/12/parquet-courts-human-performance-ew-review |archivedate=April 15, 2016 |url-status=dead}}
| rev4 = The Guardian
| rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/14/parquet-courts-human-performance-review |title=Parquet Courts: Human Performance review – a New York punk state of mind |work=The Guardian |date=April 14, 2016 |accessdate=April 25, 2016 |last=Jonze |first=Tim}}
| rev5 = NME
| rev5Score = 4/5{{cite journal |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/parquet-courts/16437 |title=Parquet Courts – 'Human Performance' Review |journal=NME |date=April 7, 2016 |accessdate=April 10, 2016 |last=Homewood |first=Ben |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411174107/http://www.nme.com/reviews/parquet-courts/16437 |archivedate=April 11, 2016 |url-status=dead}}
| rev6 = Pitchfork
| rev6Score = 8.4/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21597-human-performance/ |title=Parquet Courts: Human Performance |work=Pitchfork |date=April 7, 2016 |accessdate=April 10, 2016 |last=Pelly |first=Jenn}}
| rev7 = Q
| rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Parquet Courts: Human Performance |journal=Q |issue=358 |date=May 2016 |last=Perry |first=Andrew |page=116}}
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/parquet-courts-human-performance-20160415 |title=Human Performance |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 15, 2016 |accessdate=April 25, 2016 |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424115953/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/parquet-courts-human-performance-20160415 |url-status=dead }}
| rev9 = Spin
| rev9score = 8/10{{cite journal |url=http://www.spin.com/2016/04/review-parquet-courts-human-performance/ |title=Review: Parquet Courts Drop in to See What Condition Their Condition Is in on 'Human Performance' |journal=Spin |date=April 8, 2016 |accessdate=April 25, 2016 |last=Weiss |first=Dan}}
| rev10 = Vice
| rev10Score = A{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/expert-witness-robert-christgau-parquet-courts-tacocat/ |title=Parquet Courts Are Making Lou Reed Proud: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau |work=Vice |date=April 15, 2016 |access-date=April 25, 2016 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}
}}
Human Performance is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Parquet Courts, released on April 8, 2016 on Rough Trade Records.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/63339-parquet-courts-announce-new-album-human-performance-expand-tour-share-dust-video/ |title=Parquet Courts Announce New Album Human Performance, Expand Tour, Share "Dust" Video |work=Pitchfork |date=February 4, 2016 |accessdate=March 11, 2016 |last=Monroe |first=Jazz}}
The album was preceded by the singles "Dust", "Berlin Got Blurry", "Outside", and "Human Performance". It received a nomination for Best Recording Package at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
Background and recording
The band wrote much of Human Performance while recording the album at Dreamland Studios, New York: "We were living there, working around the clock, and there was never any time where we couldn’t be loud. It created an environment where we all encouraged each other to explore."{{cite web |url=http://www.spin.com/2016/04/parquet-courts-interview-human-performance-andrew-savage-austin-brown/ |title=Ask Yourself the Same Question: An Interview With Parquet Courts |publisher=Spin |date=April 21, 2016 |accessdate=October 11, 2016 |last=Lastson |first=Jeremy D.}} Vocalist and guitarist Andrew Savage likened the experience to recording The Beatles' White Album: "I imagine it’s what recording [that album] would’ve been like except the whole band was getting along and nobody’s girlfriend was there."
Artwork
Receiving a nomination for Best Recording Package at the 2017 Grammy Awards,{{Cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |date=2016-12-06 |title=Here Is the Complete List of Nominees for the 2017 Grammys |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/grammys-nominees-complete-list-2017-7597556/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} the album's artwork is by co-lead vocalist and guitarist A. Savage. Regarding its cover art, Savage noted: "I painted that in my own separate state of mind. I do a lot of artwork that has nothing to do with Parquet Courts, but it was around the same time that I started working on the Human Performance art, and it kind of just started screaming at me from the corner. It became apparent that it needed to be included, because so many of the same emotions were embedded within that painting were [also] within the lyrics of the record."{{cite web |url=http://www.cltampa.com/music/interviews/article/20849869/interview-parquet-courts-andrew-savage-talks-grammys-monastic-living-and-human-performance |title=Your truest self: An interview with Parquet Courts|publisher= |date=January 30, 2017 |accessdate=January 31, 2017 |last=Scharf |first=Abram}}
Accolades
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Parquet Courts
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| headline =
| total_length = 42:20
| writing_credits =
| title1 = Dust
| extra1 = Brown and Savage
| length1 = 3:57
| title2 = Human Performance
| extra2 = Savage
| length2 = 4:15
| title3 = Outside
| extra3 = Savage
| length3 = 1:45
| title4 = I Was Just Here
| extra4 = Yeaton, Savage and Brown
| length4 = 1:48
| title5 = Paraphrased
| extra5 = Savage
| length5 = 3:01
| title6 = Captive of the Sun
| extra6 = Brown
| length6 = 2:03
| title7 = Steady on My Mind
| extra7 = Brown
| length7 = 3:38
| title8 = One Man No City
| extra8 = Brown
| length8 = 6:24
| title9 = Berlin Got Blurry
| extra9 = Savage
| length9 = 3:26
| title10 = Keep It Even
| extra10 = Brown
| length10 = 2:47
| title11 = Two Dead Cops
| extra11 = Savage
| length11 = 3:05
| title12 = Pathos Prairie
| extra12 = Savage
| length12 = 2:51
| title13 = It's Gonna Happen
| extra13 = Savage, Yeaton
| length13 = 3:20
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital bonus track
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| total_length = 46:11
| writing_credits =
| title14 = Already Dead
| extra14 = Brown
| length14 = 3:51
}}
Personnel
Parquet Courts
- Austin Brown - guitar, keys, vocals
- A. Savage - guitar, car, vocals
- Max Savage - drums, percussion, vocals
- Sean Yeaton - bass, vocals
Additional musicians:
- D. Crystal - flute on "Human Performance"
- Jeff Tweedy - additional guitar on "Dust" and "Keep it Even"
- Justin Pizzoferrato - additional car horn
- Jeff Tweedy appears courtesy of dBpm Records and Anti-
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2016)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Flanders|100|artist=Parquet Courts|album=Human Performance|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 16, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|France|109|artist=Parquet Courts|album=Human Performance|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 19, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|50|date=2016-04-21|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 16, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|118|artist=Parquet Courts|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 19, 2016}} |