Paradise is an stylish homage to some 80's pop greats such as Prince, Queen, Paul Simon, George Michael and Eurythmics, brought into the 21st century with deep melodies, harmonies, and grooves, lush vocals and escapist subject matter.
After the foot-stomping I Never Said, it dives into the Bond-themed Devil May Care. Helpless harks back to the unpronounceable one whilst envisioning life in a future in which we've evolved ourselves out of survival contention - wasted, wanting, and without power. Then there's the Gracelandish Any Problems.
Later, when your mood has bottomed out with introspection and melancholia, a piano arpeggio appears to lead you out of the darkness into the classic Queen-esque strains of the title track, Paradise, and the highly original French-styled ska-pop of Too Much Talking.
You're then taken into a yet more escapist world of Desert Ion, and a distant but more hopeful tomorrow in Stasis than is portrayed earlier in the album. Entirely self-recorded, the album belies its humble roots with a beautifully rich and balanced sound and some world-class compositions and performances.
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