As many Wrock fans know by now, the Parselmouths were among the very first wave of Wizard Rock in all existence. They stood out for their spunky attitudes, music, and personal style. As a couple of engaging best friends, Brittany and Kristina stole the hearts of their many fans and held their attention for the years to follow. Yet, the chances of a couple teenage girls growing up and having the opportunity to maintain a band of this sort seem relatively slim. High school ends, college begins, and we all grow as individuals as time moves on. Through all this, Brittany and Kristina remained steadfast together, and maintain their friendship still. However, their band, the Parselmouths, has evolved more than one would perhaps have anticipated.
After attending LeakyCon and watching the Parselmouths perform live in their latest incarnation, I felt moved to pay particular attention to how the band has developed over the years and where they have come to rest at present. In an effort to be as inclusive as possible, I have taken the time to listen to all the Parselmouths albums to date in chronological order.
You may be wondering why I would bother to be so thorough. When I saw their performance at LeakyCon, there were some major differences from what has been seen in the past. As I mentioned earlier, the Parselmouths (originally a two girl Slytherin band) has evolved quite a lot in the past year. First they were joined by a Gryffindor, Eia, then suddenly Brittany’s life picked up in ways that sadly led to her no longer being able to continue with the band. Additionally, Kristina has recruited the regular assistance of the talented Alex Day. By the time the Parselmouths took the stage at LeakyCon’s Evil Night, the lineup had changed from Brittany and Kristina to Kristina, Eia, and Alex.
Eia’s influence is clear in the two latest Parselmouths albums, Pretty in Pink (and Green) and Spattergroit. With the absence of Brittany for Spattergroit, the Parselmouths sound almost like a different band entirely. The simplest way I can think of to track the changes in Parselmouths’ music is to discuss ‘What Kind of Name is Hermione’ (a song that is featured on almost every Parselmouths album produced) as it appears on each album, demonstrating how the band has grown and changed over the years.
Appearing on the Parselmouths’ first album, Sssss, ‘What Kind of Name is Hermione’ became a fan (and band) favorite as a demonstration of the band’s style, sense of fun, and subtle dislike and jealousy of the character of Hermione. We heard an updated version of the song on their following album, Broken Hearted Slytherins. This latest adaptation was more of an expansion upon the song demonstrating Brittany and Kristina’s sheer enjoyment in the music they were creating. The sound was not far off of what it was on their first album, but more an update and a way of showing their fans that they have been improving their music and continuing to have fun with it.
The third, and final, version of ‘What Kind of Name is Hermione’ appeared on Pretty in Pink (and Green), the debut album featuring the talents of Eia. This album marks the first major changes in the style and sound of music from the Parselmouths. I almost want to say it’s a more filled out sound than it was previously. This step in the chronicle of the Parselmouths is, once again, expanding on the previous versions that existed and showing how much fun they were all having with their music.
Shortly after this album, Brittany had to leave the band and this, in my opinion, is when the Parselmouths were done. I know that seems like an extreme statement, but I just don’t see the original band in there anymore. This isn’t to negate Kristina’s participation, input, and personal style, but it is simply a matter of the band consisting of different members, sounding different, and performing with different attitudes overall.
I was particularly struck with this thought upon watching the current Parselmouths wrock Evil Night at LeakyCon. The performance was fun, dynamic, and absolutely entertaining in every way. I just didn’t see the Parselmouths in it. While I am not a member of the band, nor do I have contact with Kristina, Eia, or Alex (unofficial member though he may be), I would hazard to suggest that perhaps it is time to retire the Parselmouths and to re-form as a new group. The music has already evolved, the band members have already changed, but the fans will not change. Having been in the Wizard Rock Community for so long, I hope that the Parselmouths will acknowledge that the band was fantastic, fun-filled, and wonderful for the fans, but perhaps it is no longer accurate to call the band by that name.
I would like to take a moment to express why this will be beneficial for not only the fans, but for the band members as well. First and foremost, I believe this will be beneficial to the fans in the sense that they will not have the musical history of the Parselmouths determining what they expect from recent releases. Instead, it will be based on what they have heard from the current group of musicians. I can tell you now that if you listen to songs from Sssss and then some from Spattergroit, you will likely question the validity of them being by the same band. I feel, however, that a change in band name will be beneficial to the band members more than anyone else. As we know, Brittany and Kristina got into Wizard Rock on the ground floor. For the latest members, Eia in particular, the shadow of Brittany can be a hard one to get out of. I felt, watching the performance at Evil Night, that Eia, while a dynamic performer, was clouded by the looming presence of Kristina and the shadow of Brittany as the original members of the band. This would be a perfect opportunity to shine that shadow away with the brilliance of Eia’s talents and spirit.
This could be the opportunity for Kristina, Eia, and Alex to re-invent themselves as a band and to shine on as the new group that they have formed. And, through it all, I still have my fingers crossed for a Parselmouths reunion show or album sometime in the future when Brittany has the time to commit to it!
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