EUPHOBIA

I don't know, guys. I'm not so sure about this strange album. I went into it expecting a dark tone, but I really don't get much of that. What I do get, however, is a lot of wailing and half- rapping. Oh, and did I mention this band features a female vocalist?

I love female vocalists. Actually, right now, I'm itching to find a new female-fronted band that I'll love because I haven't found one in a while. However, I don't really like the style found on this album, "Euphobia". The singer has a very "pop" sound to her voice, but then she does use it in some rather strange ways. Like I said, there's a lot of wailing and half-rapping, and also much bounciness to it. I love when a singer tries new things, but sometimes it doesn't connect with me. Don't get me wrong, she has a good voice. I just don't think she knows what to do with it.

Now, I'm struggling to figure out a rating for this album. Thing is: Although I'm not a fan of the vox, I do really like the music, for the most part. The standout instrument is certainly the flute. The flute is intense, vibrant, and extremely well-composed. It really saves some of the tracks here. On top of that, there is a nice ethnic vibe to some of the songs that is rather pleasant, and the synth is also great. The music overall has a slightly electronic feel to it, but with some rather organic instruments, too. Indeed, I think this band could have been labeled heavy prog very easily. So, you see, I like the music, but I feel the vocalist is out of place.

Overall, a good debut album. It's nothing overly special, and I think the vox need work. However, this band is on to something with the respectful way they treat some of the instruments. Maybe, just maybe, this band's future could be bright.