Posted on: December 22, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The dreamy style of Page France is something that has not been heard in popular alternative music for years. This really hearkens back to the days of 4 Non Blondes, Lollipop, and Blind Melon. There is a heavy amount of the current time present in Page France as well, which allows “Hello, Dear Wind” to be such a considerable album when compared to the other albums out contemporaneously. During a song like “Jesus”, one can almost hear the classical new-folk of artists like Devendra Banhart and all others on the DiChristina label.

The twinkly sound is something that permeates the entirety of “Hello, Dear wind” is something that has been attempted by a number of acts, but it really has been Page France alone that has been able to string together an entire disc’s worth of material without breaking character once. One of the things that individuals should almost immediately hear about Page France is that there is a lot of personifications; “Jesus” has the band talking to a mythological Christian character, while “Elephant” has the act talking to a flower as well as other things. The band has the spirit of the sixties firmly lodged in their heart. The band is easily able to fill up their disc (at a solid runtime of forty-four minutes) with a close grouping of alternative rock that will get tongues wagging throughout the entirety of the next year. The fact that Page France can insert synthesizers and walking bass lines to their music and make them sound right is something else in the band’s favor; they are talented musicians, no doubt about that.

While each of the songs on “Hello, Dear Wind” stand in very close proximity to the other songs on the disc, Page France is able to try new things with each track that keep individuals interested throughout the entirety of the disc. The band should try to do different things with each subsequent album that they release; I’d like to hear how Page France approach seventies lounge music or arena rock, while still tying these sounds to the styles that dominate during this album. Give this disc a listen if the genre in which Page France play is something that you could dig, or if you are a fan of good music played well. There is something that Page France can teach everyone, all one needs to do is focus in and listen carefully, and they will understand it as well.

Top Tracks: Jesus, Windy

Rating: 6.8/10

Page France – Hello, Dear Wind / 2006 Suicide Squeeze / 14 Tracks / http://www.pagefrance.net / http://www.suicidesqueeze.net / Reviewed 27 August 2006.

[JMcQ]

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