B'ehl
Only A Paper Moon
Endearing Records

When you first give this purple CD a spin, you are immediately enthused by the catchy melodies, Plumtree-esque guitar, and brilliant vocals and lyrics of this Winnipeg quartet. This, their first CD, has spunk and charm. Most of the female vocals are sung quite quickly, but without the loss of precision or flare that occurs with many bands that use such a quick pace. Their songs have a beat that reminds me very much of their punk colleagues The Bonaduces, who have many other similar characteristics.

The CD comes with a charming little lyric booklet, that is as fun to read as it is to hear sung. Some of the songs are really quite sad, but they retain a certain beauty and dignity throughout, never seeming dark or self-indulgent. The vocals seem to shine, like sunshine dancing on the ripples of a pond. This was on the top 10 list for many a music fan in '97 and I can see why. This band can easily compete with more recognized bands like Plumtree, and probably kick some butt in the process. This is one of the first female pop-bands around that can stand on their own without relying on sexist hype to get themselves noticed. You gotta love it.

Copyright © 1998 Laura Bowman