Darling Violetta augment their sound and style with strings, horns, and several bassists, for a set featuring nicely placed EFX, crunching guitar chords, and singer Cami Elen's pop-drenched vocals on
Parlour. Moreover, they implement a few
Beatles-derived studio techniques, à la
Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road during selected tracks. This outfit has provided soundtracks for TV shows and a PC video game amid videos. Hence, a component of the musicians' collective artistry that should come as no surprise upon listening to their overall studio savvy can be found on the piece titled "Candy Jones," in which
Darling Violetta aim at a crossover approach via a nicely rendered potpourri of softly strumming guitars, horns, and strings amid a late-'60s,
Beatles-type vibe. They also intertwine straightforward rockers with discordant musings and hallowed themes. To that end, Parlour offers a divergent mix, featuring considerably more than your average rock. Although few of these pieces contain memorable melodies or catchy hooks, the group's intelligent game plan yields fruitful dividends when viewed as a whole. ~ Glenn Astarita