Take 1 diminutive female singer/songwriter with acoustic electric guitar, 1 cheroot shaped male singer/songwriter with solid body electric guitar, 1 effects unit, and 1 sequenced backing unit, combine ingrediants and blend at medium speed for 1.5 hours, and, voila, you get a lip-smacking smoothie that is...
Planet Paris
Revingtons Hotel - Tainui Street, Greymouth
Thursday, 17th April 2003
Rating: 
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From the Crib Time Cafe to a panorama as luscious as misty morning mountain hop Lake Brunner that wouldn't fail to provide continual inspiration for music that is designed to calm the nerves of any first-time traveller to Planet Paris. Out of the Blue is an excellent example of what a band is capable of producing on their own if they have patience and yards of talent. Perhaps Planet Paris is one of the Coast's best kept secrets with songs that are very personal without being aloof and alienating. In other words, where the human experience is taken into account with deep respect.
Niki and Don both flesh out the sounds with guitars, effects and sequenced backing units, providing a glimpse for the unwearied traveller that there are still untapped areas in this prodigious talent pool. On talking with Niki during a set break, she confirms that their songs are actually meant to be songs, not ego-massaging excursions into banal pop. The songs have enough thought put into their crafting to stay away from the often too homogenised side of Kiwi folk rock pop. Angus the Unkilted Scotsman shouted, "You guys have been cheating, you've been practising"... yeah, a serious amount of life, dedication and thought goes into the dynamic duo's craft, presentation and production.
Overall, Planet Paris is achieving a balanced blend of unique quirkiness and catchy melodies. Niki's perceptive personality and rich vocal timbre gives their combined music its own indelible stamp. Even if you're peeling along the highway, pounding on the steering wheel of your Evo whilst listening to the latest hard 'n' heavy offering, remember that they say the body finds its natural rhythms, resonance and breathing cycles, allowing the mind to relax, focus, and release the feeling of being overwhelmed. Planet Paris can make you feel that way. Happy pop ditties they could be but they are intelligently rendered for the intelligent listener. These lakeside residents know how to keep their arrangements simple and keep their songs at centre stage.
An evening's menu of well-crafted originals and a handful of finely-spun covers with one especially for Dayglo, ("I'll Find My Way Home" ex Jon & Vangelis, circa 1981, covered by B Tribe in 1993 and latterly by Planet Paris) that signalled that it was nearly time for me to leave the warmth of Revvie's open fire and venture out into the chill of the late night air... to find my way home...
The timeless tandem that is Planet Paris and their solid grooving gives the listener a lifetime guarantee of satisfaction. Live in the Sunshine and add a Planet Paris bounce to your walk today.