Darling Parade (by Juno)

I used to hate Twitter but for the sake of the blog I made one. Oh, the reluctance I felt! But now that I’m being followed by Fran Drescher, the bassist from SafetySuit, and Cartel my opinions are being revised. Ya know who else is following me? This little-known band called Darling Parade. When I checked out their MySpace and listened to a track I was blown away. I sent them a message of admiration, one thing led to another, and now here I am preparing myself to listen to their album online and write a review for them.

Track 1- “Bells Are Ringing” (The one that will be stuck in your head)

Wow, I didn’t even get a chance to prepare myself! There is no instrumental introduction; lead vocalist Kristin Kearns immediately draws you in with her powerful alto baseline. A grand selection for the first track, ‘cause we all know the first song is what leaves the biggest impression. The fiercest of the five.

Track 2- “Lose You” (The sing-along song)

The anthem of every adolescent female. The vibe is all-too-familiar but the lyrical and musical presentation help it stand out from the lovelorn, love lost, love songs of the Hollywood poptart singers. Edgy and unforgiving, the very first song I heard by them (prior to writing the album review). So far it's my favorite. It’s the most played on their MySpace and with good reason, ( . . . said the unbiased reviewer . . . ).

Track 3- “Never Fall Down” (The feel good song)

Kristin definitely shows off her range here. It’s never easy for lower-voiced females to make those high notes attractive, so kudos to you ma’am! Not only are the vocals impressive but it’s lyrically laced with philosophical gems in the vein of the Tao Te Ching. Reminiscent of "Lose You", but a lot more unforgiving.

Track 4- “Far Away” (The song that will be on a movie soundtrack)

For some reason the beginning of the song reminds me of Green Day. But of course when Kristin’s God awesome vocals hit me I’m reminded of the estrogen-fueled rampage I’m listening to. Like every good song should, this one tells a story, and that story is about feeling distanced from the one you love. It has an incredible amount of pathos pumping through it.

Track 5- “Tangled” (The soulful song)

Is that a piano I hear in the beginning? Yes, yes it is. This is the moving, deeper song of the 5-track EP, but that doesn’t mean you can chill to it. Like the rest of the album it’s packed with oodles of energy, but the approach is softer. It almost has a Kelly Clarkson feel to it at certain parts.

Looks Like-

Sounds Like- Early Fall Out Boy (Take This To Your Grave era), Paramore, Automatic Loveletter, Hey Monday . . . just way more mature, this is not for the kiddies. Or a female fronted Daughtry. I’ll categorize them as pop-rock, alternative rock, and piano rock (just for "Tangled" though).

Feels Like- A peanut butter jelly sandwich when you’re one the verge of starvation.

Should Open For- Daughtry, SafetySuit, OneRepublic, The Starting Line

Overall Score- The Mona Lisa of MySpace bands.

Juno commands you go to their MySpace and listen right now!