The Concept: Welcome to Parnassus University

Car Seat Headrest’s “The Scholars” isn’t just an album—it’s a full-blown rock opera. Set at the fictional (and fantastically chaotic) Parnassus University, the album plays out like a fever dream version of the college experience: weird roommates, existential dread, identity crises, and late-night breakdowns, all filtered through Will Toledo’s singular vision.

I will be completely honest. It is really hard to explain.

Think of it as a coming-of-age musical, with a rotating cast of students grappling with love, loss, ambition, and the supernatural. Each track is a chapter in this loose, theatrical story. It’s wild, vulnerable, and often funny in that painfully honest Car Seat Headrest way.

As Will notes, “One thing that can be a struggle with rock operas is that the individual songs kind of get sacrificed for the flow of the plot. “I didn’t want to sacrifice that to make a very fluid narrative. And so this is sort of a middle ground where each song can be a character, and it’s like each one is coming out on center stage and they have their song and dance.”

Who’s Behind It?

At the heart of it all is Will Toledo, the band’s lead singer, lyricist, and creative engine. He’s been building toward something like this for years — his fascination with characters, alter-egos, and big concepts really comes to life here.

The Band:

• Will Toledo – vocals, guitar, songwriting, the mind behind the madness.
• Andrew Katz – drums, co-producer, also known for his wild humor and creative input.
• Ethan Ives – guitar, bass, vocals (particularly on the scorcher, Reality) – brings some grit and weird energy.
• Seth Dalby – bass, synths, programming; a newer addition helping flesh out the theatrical sound.

To be honest, this time, it’s not just Will in the spotlight. Everyone’s fingerprints are on this thing, and it shows.

The Sound: Big, Bold, and Unapologetically Extra

“The Scholars” is easily the band’s most musically ambitious project. It blends gritty indie rock with glam, prog, synths, and spoken word—sometimes in the same song. It feels like a stage play and a bedroom album rolled into one. Some tracks are catchy and immediate. Others are long, weird, and beautiful in the way that only Car Seat Headrest can be.

If you liked the long-form storytelling of “Twin Fantasy” or the polish of “Making a Door Less Open”, this lands somewhere in between — stranger, funnier, but deeply emotional.

Essential Tracks

Here are just a few highlights:

“CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You)”

A fuzzy, emotional opener with one of the stickiest lines Will’s written in years: “When I’m out of the dark. I’m gonna stay with you. Next time you come my way…” It sounds sweet until you realize it’s also kind of terrifying. This is about devotion — possibly unhealthy, but definitely intense.

“The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)”

Classic sarcastic Will, laced with anxiety and chaos. Part spoken word, part full-throttle rock.

“We should start a band, lose all touch with the real world.

Good luck with that, man…

…And that was the start of a major catastrophe.“

Oof.

“Gethsemane”

This one hurts. Named after the place where Jesus begged for mercy, it has a slow, aching build that absolutely explodes by the end.

“In the false dawn, everything is dreamlike and unreal. Somewhere on the periphery is a nightmare I still feel. The fireplace is flickering, black-haired bull is speaking by the bed.

You can love again if you try again.”

A spiritual crisis through the lens of depression and emotional overload.

“Reality”

Floaty, woozy, and totally haunting. It’s about memory, confusion, and losing touch with yourself. It feels like a digital-age breakdown wrapped in synths.

“So they gave it up, said “it’s all too much. I can’t take it if this is how it feels”

Got to pay the piper, hire another writer to tell you what is real.”

“Planet Desperation”

This is probably my favorite song (along with Gethsemane), and it is the 19-minute centerpiece of the album, their longest track written (Sorry, Famous Prophets (Stars) from “Twin Fantasy”). Buckle up for spoken monologues, choirs, ambient freakouts, and straight-up rock catharsis. It’s messy, raw, but stunning.

“‘Til the kids grow up alright. Until hearts don’t break anymore. Until we don’t spend the rest of our lives fixing everything that happened before.”

If you only listen to one song on the album, make it this one — but really, don’t listen to this album casually. It’s meant to be lived in.

“True/False Lover”

The soft landing after all the chaos. Gentle piano, quiet vocals, and a sense of bittersweet peace.

“Forgive and forget, once again, I let the counter be reset. Take a look at what’s left: a fading sense of regret and a growing heart.”

It is a beautiful ending after an hour of intensity.

Final Thoughts

“The Scholars” is not an easy listen. But it’s thrilling, packed with emotion, ideas, humor, and more heart than you’ll find in most albums this year. It’s weird, nerdy, theatrical, and totally sincere.

Between this and “Twin Fantasy” (their 2018 re-recording), I do find it hard to say which one I prefer. Will put a lot of thought and effort into “The Scholars” and it takes a number of listens for it all to sink in. Damn.

Will, you wrote a f**king a rock opera!

If you’re a longtime fan, this might feel like the culmination of everything Car Seat Headrest has been building toward (I felt this way having read through the 28-page booklet which accompanied the double-LP purchase!)

If you’re new to the band, then welcome!

There is no better time to dive into the world of Car Seat Headrest and get weird.

Chris Garrod, May 6, 2025

10/10