Auf Der Maur "This Would Be Paradise"
So, at long last Melissa Auf Der Maur treats us to new songs! Her new EP, This Would Be Paradise, took four years to take shape since the release of her first self-titled solo album in 2004. Available for download on iTunes since the 14th of November, the three songs definitely sound like Auf Der Maur.
Usually music fans complain when a band does something completely different, but here I'm going to complain about how This Would Be Paradise is actually too much like Auf Der Maur. 'The Key' will remind you of 'Head Unbound' straight away, the riffs being very similar. 'Willing Enabler' has a nice guitar intro, and the bass is very much present, which is pleasant as Melissa was previously known as Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins's bass player. But sadly, the song gets boring and repetitive faster than it takes to say it. 'This Would Be Paradise' is probably the most interesting song of the lot, even though it's no proper song. It consists of a quote by Tommy Douglas, a Canadian social democratic politician from the early 20th century, being repeated a few times with a noisy yet strangely relaxing music in the background.
"Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he can burrow into the ground like a mole. Now if only he could walk the earth like a man, this would be paradise."
It is nice to hear from Auf Der Maur again, but after a four years's break, you could have expected more from this EP. Moreover, I still question Melissa's choice of genre. She's got a lovely, sweet voice and I do wonder whether 'noisy' rock really emphasizes that.
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