VINYL FLOOR: Funhouse Mirror (ALTERNATIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

The name Vinyl Floor could mislead. A name, a music, a cover with an English sound but nothing British here. Originally from Denmark, the band has already a good bunch of albums behind it, the last one, with the prophetic name "Apogee", dates from 4 years ago. If the combo bathes in the best of alternative rock, with a sometimes dynamic rhythm but with a rather pop look, it's more towards this last direction that "Funhouse Mirror" is heading.

Indeed, the listening of this new album reveals a slight questioning of the whole with a dominance of acoustic and folk pop or even country which had been a little under-exploited by the band until now. This orientation, which is certainly not new, offers a pleasant album to listen to and rather fresh, light not to say optimistic. Such is the impression that emerges from the well named 'Ever, The Optimist' which combines all these aspects with in particular a very big part left to the musicality with its more than two minutes of instrumentals in the form of jam.

Among this melodic debauchery, some compositions stand out which hold the attention like the first one 'Anything You Want' whose musical color reminds a little of the Beatles, notably its hypnotic rhythm and its choirs, while proposing a quite personal final to emancipate itself from this effluence which can be considered invading. The art of a good pop rock album is to find the right balance between memorable melodies while offering enough relief to avoid any weariness after several listenings. One of the ways to achieve this is to offer enough variety to keep the attention. Vinyl Floor, strong of its experience, sprinkles this "Funhouse Mirror" of small passages allowing to maintain the interest, that it is by the vocal harmonies which are numerous ('Between Lines Undone', 'Death Of a Poet') or in the slightly jazzy exploration of certain compositions ('Dear Apollon') with the contribution of the piano and of refined brass.

The climax of the album remains however the last track, 'Days'. From the top of its six minutes, the piece is a final in the form of best of what the group proposes, namely a learned mixture of classy pop notably underlined by the strings and its heady melody. Finally, if the album does not surprise, it remains very endearing by its general brightness, its sensitivity that transpires from each track and the emotions it provides. Here is a neat album which puts forward beautiful melodies carried by interesting vocal harmonies. - Official website

VINYL FLOOR

FUNHOUSE MIRROR

AUTRE LABEL

ALTERNATIVE ROCK