This is an interesting little release. Split into two sections, the first 5 tracks are new material from the German band, while the remaining ten make up a live show recorded in Munich in 2005. The most striking thing about this band's sound is without a doubt the silky smooth vocals of frontwoman Christina Hoidn. Straight from her first lines of 'Ashes', it's hard not to compare her vocal stylings to some of the 80s finest singers, especially Blondie's Debbie Harry. When this is combined with Hoidn's somewhat unconventional harmonies, it adds an extra dimension to La Par Force's songs.
Just listening to the chorus from 'Those Black Fields', you get a feeling they're doing something different, but still making very listenable music. The main problem with the first 5 songs of this bundle, is that you can't help but be left with feeling that there could be so much here. The drumming rarely strays from a straight beat, and the guitar work doesn't extend into unchartered territories. While it's something I can imagine making its way onto a Radio 2 playlist (or the German equivalent), for me it's offensively inoffensive. However, the included live recording is definitely the saving grace here. Right from the beginning of 'Of Disgrace', you can tell there's a lot more energy to the band's live performance than their studio efforts. It's also here that they actually showcase some of their more daring work. It's only a shame songs such as 'Oubliette' and 'Schalechet' weren't including on the studio recording.
Overall this is a CD well worth the money for La Par Force fans. For the price of an E.P. you get five new songs as well as an entire live set on one disk. However, for the majority of music enthusiasts reading this review, it's probably best left in the CD rack. While there's nothing terrible on offer here, some may find Christina Hoidn's vocals irritating, and the lack of substance to some songs is frustrating.
Andrew
» Official Website
