{"id":8380,"date":"2021-11-27T20:07:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-27T19:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/?p=8380"},"modified":"2021-11-27T20:07:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-27T19:07:27","slug":"paul-numi-parallel-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kessel-tamerus.nl\/Esthers_Blog\/rock\/paul-numi-parallel-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Numi \u2013 Parallel Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The name Paul Numi will be unknown to many people, but the name Peter Corijn will probably ring a bell. In the 80s, he played in the Belgian band ‘Angry Voices’. With this band, he was the support act for U2 and The Scabs, among others. After that, it was quiet for a while, but there was a comeback. In April 2020, he released the album ‘Chimera’ under the name Paul Numi. You can hear influences from bands like The Cure, Joy Division and Britpop. His second album ‘Parallel Lives’ was released on 1 November. The title is inspired by important choices or decisions in life, such as partner, job, moving and so on. With a different choice or decision, your life would be different. Actually, these fictional lives are parallel to each other. When you look back, sometimes you realise that you made the wrong decision. Or you are happy with the choice you made, or didn’t make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album starts with the catchy rhythm of the title track. Paul has a pleasant voice, the melody soon sticks in your head. Vocal parts are interspersed with instrumental pieces. The build-up with verse-refrain is quite predictable. During ‘Wake up’ I tap along with my foot, the bass is nicely present. The songs are uncomplicated and immediately catchy. Paul has a clear pronunciation and the lyrics are not complicated, so you can sing along pretty soon.
The 80’s can be heard especially in the intro of ‘Multitudes’. But there are more elements that fit in the 80s, such as the pleasant beat and the electronic sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The songs that follow have an uplifting character, they make you feel good. There are few very special elements to be heard, yet every song has some nice things. For example, the vocals in ‘Something to hold on to’ are nicely stacked. And ‘I’ve got to make it’ contains lovely electronic sounds, they form a nice contrast with the bass. Because of the structure, it is soon predictable when you hear them again. In general, the outros could have had a bit more attention. Played live, I’m sure they will make something more special out of the way the songs end. The end of ‘Never I Believed’ is quite nice. The sound of the acoustic guitar playing during the intro of ‘Not Yet’ is surprising, because it is different from the rest. You can understand every word Paul sings. Vocals and music are subdued, now and then the music has a special sound. The fading end could have been a bit longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structure of these nine songs is quite simple, and it all sounds quite nice. For most of the songs, the fact is that once you’ve heard them, you’ll recognise them again the next time you listen to them. On the one hand, this “low-threshold” sound is nice. On the other hand, if you listen to the album more often, there is a chance it will get boring. Now and then, more emotion could have come through. If you want to enjoy an uncomplicated album with a feel-good atmosphere, ‘Parallel Lives’ is the right choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(70\/100) (Own Management)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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