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Album Review
by SashaS
13-10-2003
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| Electric Soft Parade: The US Adventure |
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The Electric Soft Parade: 'The American Adventure'
(BMG)
The Electric Soft Parade: reaching for stars and finding galaxies
The Electric Soft Parade are like a walk in the meadows that doesn’t sting, stink and is as pretty as a painting. On the other hand, it is all a deception, those interludes between rocking songs that reminds us of a time when things were – beautiful on the inside and not only artificially, brave enough to go where pop fears to follow and less structured (music industry wise). ‘The American Adventure’ set recalls the days when ‘pop’ music could liberate imagination!
There is some lilting quality that blows through the music that recalls psychedelic days that don’t exist… perhaps, it never did. Because this ‘American Adventure’ is in sound while its lyrical content deals with a variety of subjects, be it ‘Bruxellesation’ or ‘Headeacheville’; the later one, one of the highlights here, counterpoints quirky rhythm with a very intriguing atmosphere and wistful vocal. The concluding cut is a piano-driven psycho’d out reasoning of ‘Existing’. Exquisite.
More goodness come with the title track, an ambitious undertaking that hovers between prog-rock and an American musical number, add to that a tad spirituality and a portion that will turn it into a sort of a medley (it is three songs arranged as one) and you have the most accomplished composition of their career; reaching for stars and finding galaxies. ‘Chaos’ then takes you on such an emo-exploration, Coldplay and Starsailor should take good notices. People go on about Muse’s new album, I’d invest my money in backing this lot.
The White brothers, Tom and Alex, issued their debut album ‘Holes In The Wall’ last year and within such a short space of time have progressed immensely. This is a slower album, more of a mental disc, a beauty caught on an analogue tape. And, despite its title, it is less ‘Yankee’ than many a band we can think of, if we tried half-hard. The Electric Soft Parade are based in Brighton; and we all thought it was the Dance Capital of the UK!?
In the week when an old-garde popsters release an album (Blondie) as well as the new pop- giants (Travis), we fancy ESP’s album as the pop music of today.
Now, let me re-cue: 6 (‘The American Adventure’), 8 (‘Headacheville’), 9 (Existing’), 7… [Play the damn thing all over, already! – Monday Ed.) Erm, anyway, the only objection is its length – 35 minutes! Lads?!
8/10
SashaS
13-10-2003
The Electric Soft Parade’s album ‘The American Adventure’ is released 13 October 2003 by BMG
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