Parenthetical Girls is an art pop ensemble fronted by sole constant member Zac Pennington. Their shamelessly melodramatic and flamboyant style has slowly evolved from highly experimental bells-and-buzzing, to orchestral extravagance, to more restrained electronic synth-pop.
Examples:
- Anti-Christmas Song: Pretty much every Christmas release, particularly "Do You Fear What I Fear?".
- Attending Your Own Funeral: Zac Pennington has done this twice (so far).
- Birth-Death Juxtaposition: "The Weight She Fell Under". After the gory details of the girl's death,strange, this would come at the same agethat your mother took his nameand labor pains would collapse her fragile frame
- Camp Straight: Zac Pennington is the living embodiment of this trope, and is known for his androgyny and effeminacy (and embracing it), but is reportedly straight.
- Christmas Songs: Six EPs worth so far.
- Couldn't Find a Pen: Their five-part series of EPs, Privilege, is hand-numbered in the actual blood of the corresponding band member depicted on the cover.
- Dirty Old Monk: "Young Eucharists".
- Face on the Cover: All of their LP covers thus far are artistic renditions of Pennington.
- Intercourse with You: Too many to list. Most blatantly "Love Connection, Pt. II".
- Peaceful in Death: "The Weight She Fell Under".
- Sex as Rite-of-Passage: The focus of "Unmentionables".
- Suicide Pact: Mentioned in "The Four Platitudes".
- Textless Album Cover: Their first three LPs.
- Twisted Christmas: "Flowers for Albion" in particular.