Amidst their tour run opening for Tyler, the Creator, alternative hip hop duo Paris Texas have delivered not one, but two raucous and unapologetic EPs.
Monday, March 24, 2025~ by Gia Acosta
On the last night of the LA Chromakopia residency, the duo - Louie Pastel and Felix - surprised listeners with They Left Me With The Sword, only two days after teasing the project with lead single “infinyte.” In typical Paris Texas fashion, the project dropped alongside a truly bizarre 5-minute video, chronicling the tale of conjoined twins that dream to see their liberation and eventual demise.
The first EP’s spoken introduction track “The Sword” lays the groundwork for the cinematic whirlwind that ensues, leading into the ominous “Dogma 25.” The next track “Red Eyes & Blue Hearts” is a love song in the truest sense that sweeps you up before transitioning into the belligerent “Tantrum,” providing a healthy dose of musical whiplash.
“Holy Spinal Fluid” is undeniably the bounciest track on this EP and where the duo’s flow really shines. The writing is clever and unapologetic with quips like “I’m doin good once I know the fuckin’ melon hate it/Irony, the melon eatin’ off the melanated” in reference to popular music critic Anthony Fantano rating their previous album MID AIR a sorrowful 3/10.
The penultimate track and lead single “infinyte” leans into the pair’s well-established punk aesthetic, setting up for the laid-back but hypnotic “El Camino,” a track that makes it clear these two are a powerful and ambitious duo.
If “El Camino” didn’t make their intentions clear enough, the fact that they dropped a second EP a week later should tell you all you need to know about how hard they’re coming out swinging.
Their second EP They Left Met With A Gun premiered in conjunction with the official sequel video to TLMWTS. The video starts where the duo left off in the previous story, with their cold lifeless bodies coming back to life, this time to be united with the mysterious talking gun that initially led them to meet their fate. It’s a strangely cinematic experience that looks like it was shot on the same camcorder that was probably used to film your childhood soccer games, making for yet another surreal watch.
The second EP is overall thrashier than the first but explores some of the same themes, examining the troubles that come from navigating career and love. In the first two tracks “Superstar” and “Twin Geeker,” it’s clear that Louie and Felix think heavily about what it means to be famous and really what it takes to stand out in a world where fame can come so easily to anyone online.
By the midway point of the TLMWAG, the pair are fully in their bag, switching their attention from fame to love…or really, the potential for love. The rest of the tracks see the duo struggling to strike the balance of building their careers and giving into the desire to settle down with someone. Their punk-alternative influence is heard on tracks like “mudbone” and “No Strings,” which both feature sung choruses. By the end of it, the pair come to the conclusion that for now, they’re focusing on their careers, singing “No strings attached/I can’t go back/To the man I once was, baby/I can try, I don’t wanna.”
They Left Me With The Sword and They Left Me With A Gun are an exciting melodramatic follow up to 2023’s MID AIR. While their previous singles and collaborations over the last year with artists like Kenny Mason, Billy Lemos, and Bien et Toi were worthwhile asides, it’s refreshing to be back in the Paris Texas cinematic universe, official videos and all.
Check out the EPs and Official Videos below:
Comments