Chilling Out In The Moonlight
Paint The Sun (EP)
Moonlight Parade
Moonlight Parade are three friends from Worthing. Ben Todd is the lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, Alex Borg plays bass as well as taking charge of programming and Steve Murphy is the lead guitarist. Their ‘Paint the Sun’ EP was released in May and follows two albums where they have honed their skills and perfected their sound.
The title track ‘Paint the Sun’ is a slice of indie pop played in Ibiza at 3 in the morning. Its sumptuous sound builds up in layers with a wonderful acoustic guitar intro and Ben Todd’s superb vocals. As it gets into its stride it sounds like Aha in their earlier poppy incarnation with an echo of The Sun always shines on TV. There is something absolutely hypnotic about the overall effect and it is a gorgeous start to the EP.
‘Invincible’ is another slice of classy pop with a hint of Echo and the Bunnymen. Alex Borg’s bass gives the track a really solid feel and guitarist Steve Murphy shows his talent with a superb solo. Once again Todd’s vocals seem to float above the tune but they have a real presence to them that belies the softness.
‘I’d really like to Meet you Man’ starts off with a close harmony chorus that is pure 60s West Coast before moving into a Kinks style verse that could be a distant cousin to Sunny Afternoon. It is another side of the group who wear their influences proudly but don’t slavishly copy anyone.
‘If I Leave’ is my favourite track on the album as it has a strong guitar solo from Murphy to start before heading into a short verse and a real earworm of a chorus. It has a real flair to it that gives the track a feel of a laidback U2. Everything just clicks on this track and it pretty much sounds perfect from first note to last.
The final track on this brilliant EP is ‘Hang Glider’ which is a proper indie style record that has hints of the Cocteau Twins in the music. It is a track that evolves throughout and constantly surprises and delights the listener with the interplay between the vocals and the music.
Every track on this EP is different and has its own sound, but there is a wonderful overall sound to this record that makes it the perfect late-night chill out. I enjoyed every single minute of this and cannot wait to hear more from this talented trio.
