I'm not overly sure if this CD is meant for general sale – but it's good enough to be!! A band from Arbroath who are a kind of mix of Arcade Fire, Divine Comedy and The Fratellis, with touches of eighties Spandau Ballet in there too. The opening and title track, “Paris”, is founded on a flying wave of rhythm fire as chiming guitars and chugging riffs provide the sparks, but it's the vocalist that is the icing on the cake with this rich sounding voice but one that's got strength, urgency and bite as a song that mixes yearning and desire unfolds at a fair pace, but so new and refreshing a sound done so well, that you really want to play the thing again and again – a glorious gem of indie-pop. The second track concentrates more on the fire and less on the reflection as this razor sharp slice of adrenaline-fuelled indie rock bursts into life, but even here the band exercise a great sense of dynamics in the writing department, using contrast between the flowing verses and the nuclear powered hooks as the mechanisms that mesmerise, once again the band a scorching sea of riffs and rhythms but the song twisting and turning all over the place, even including a brief slice of appellate in the middle, but generally flaring out with that strong and strident vocal biting out on top – fabulous!! Finally we come to “Midlife Crisis”, which chugs rather than storms, although it's close, with a chorus that swirls around your head as the song sizzles away in a hail of Wishbone Ash styled twin guitars allied to crunchy rhythm work and a blaze of modern indie heaven, the song itself another winner as the vocals steam ahead with conviction and passion. Overall, three superb tracks that should be available to all – here's hoping!!
