Paris – Paris (EP)
Review by Jess Tagliani
The moment you find out a band has a female vocalist, your mind turns to two possibilities. One: they’re probably a pop-punk band, along the lines of Paramore or We Are the In Crowd, complete with sickeningly sweet vocals. Or two: they’re a Gothic rock band who are attempting to sound ‘big and scary’, like their older sisters in Evanescence or Within Temptation.
But here’s my piece of advice – banish thoughts like that immediately. Because Paris are nothing like that.
They’re better. They’ve been locked away, spending time on creating their debut EP, entitled Paris, that’s also a piece of art; they’ve been spending hours on five tracks that are simply set to blow people away from the opening chords.
Roaring drum work kick starts opening track “Demon Limbs” and gritty riffs announce their full-throttle arrival. Lynn Gunnulfsen’s stunning and unique vocals are layered on top, creating a fast and furious tempo, while refrains of the bruising “Be the light to carry me home” are emotional. Despite only being the first track, it’s obvious that it’ll be a crowd pleaser.
“Waking Up” and “Mind Over Matter” are chock-full of bone-crunching, blistering riffs. With melodic hooks and a mighty bass-line, before being topped off with soaring vocals, it almost seems as if Paris have only created adrenaline-fueled tracks that grab you by the throat, demanding to be heard.
But that’s not true. “Only Love” winds things down slightly; a piano-led ballad, it’s a poignant, bittersweet song. It’s easy enough to write a ballad, but to carry it off with such emotion is a different story. Paris know how to both write and perform a ballad.
Closing with single “The Heartless) (feat. Josh Herzer), they sign off with a bang, not a fizzle, as they maintain their consistently high level of energy. Paris are definitely deserving of more attention – with their dark-tinged rock music, it shouldn’t be long before they’re making bigger waves within the music industry.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: “Demon Limbs” and “The Heartless (feat. Josh Herzer)”
Website // Facebook // Twitter
