Film: Persona

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Film are a quartet consisting of Kostas Borsis (drums, percussion), Dimitris Borsis (bass, voice, samples), Manolis Zavitsanos (guitars, autoharp) and Ifigenia Atkinson (voice). The band play a style of music closer to alternative rather than progressive but that does not mean you should dismiss this album. If you appreciated the New Romantic music coming from Europe in the early 80s, bands like Ultravox, Depeche Mode and Classix Nouveau come to mind, you may find this release worthy of your time. Although Persona does not necessarily sound like those bands, there is an 80s electronic approach to songwriting that reminded me of the era.

Persona is the band's third album. The songs are mostly mid-tempo, with the guitars used to provide rhythmic textures rather than blistering solos. Samples are used effectively, giving this music an added depth with many of these songs having an electronic edge.

Beginning with "Airbus", the band's New Wave roots are clearly evident. Melodic rhythm guitar and excellent drumming are the highlights here. The male vocals are also very good giving this a distinctly British flavour. The alternative sounding "The Slip" features slow melodic guitar rhythms and an underlying electronic vibe. When the tempo quickens the guitar takes on a more angular approach. One of my favourite songs is the melodic ear candy of "Berlin" with its Deborah Harry-like vocals, melodic guitar rhythms and superb tribal drumming. The fuzzed out bass sounds are pretty cool and the saxophone solo came as an unexpected surprise. The Blondie tinged "Private" with fragile female vocals and jangly guitar chords is another strong piece. The album ends with the upbeat "The Machinist", perhaps the most melodic song here with its tasty guitar riff and "The Beast" where a pretty nice string arrangement of cello and violin gives the song a lush atmosphere. The rest of the CD offers similar fare, never straying too far from their poppy New Wave approach to songwriting.

This album provided a nice change of pace from the current fare of progressive rock and metal I typically listen to. I recommend you listen to some samples and perhaps it will do the same for you.

Track Listing:
1. Airbus
2. The Slip
3. Berlin
4. Private
5. TMWTS
6. Prince
7. Long Coffee Break
8. Retroic
9. Filter
10. The Machinist
11. Beast

Added: January 10th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1936
Language: english

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