Last year a mysterious Parisian musician under the name Any Version of Me caught my ear, and now he contacted me directly to promote his latest effort Wasted Sun. The sound of the band is decided retro, blending both Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Colin Blunstone (The Zombies) in wonderful combination. You’ll also hear bits of The Beatles, Nick Drake and The Turtles in the tracks as well, and it’s fun to spot each influence here.
“Monday” is a great starting track with a bass line similar to “Lady Madonna” that bounces along and the lush horn details flesh out the song. The echoing old piano that drives “Seems Like Everyday Is Something New” is a solid tune with a touch melancholy. AVOM uses a plethora of instruments, from ukulele to organ on the sweet “Normal Life.” The composition and instrumentation on the Wilson-influenced title track “Wasted Sun” is totally mesmerizing and can be compared to “Til I Die.” The moody brilliance continues on several tracks, notably “Don’t Try Too Hard” and “Down To The Sea.” Another standout is the 7 minute opus “With The Moon” which has awesome melodies, strong harmonies and could fit right on “Smile.” One can find fault in that several songs seem to end abruptly (“Early One Morning”), or drift off into an unrelated melody. Overall the album’s beautiful but somber mood is so effective, you’ll find repeat listens a must. Power Popaholic Exclusive: Send an e-mail to the band and mention you read about it on Powerpopaholic.com and get a FREE download code. This is for a limited time, so act fast!
sent the email, received the download…thanks for the heads-up on a great album…KC