Indochine

Paradize (Columbia, France)
By Michael McCarthy

Anything but an album of ballads is Paradize, the long-awaited new album from Indochine (Columbia, France), arguably the most famous – and the most talented – veterans of the French rock scene internationally. I’m not sure they’d appreciate the comparison, but I’ve often thought of them as a heavier, French version of Duran Duran. For some reason Paradize continues to remind me of Duran Duran in spite of the industrial vibe that dominates many of the tracks, perhaps because of the often irresistible melodic choruses. Many of these songs will make you want to dance and bang your head at the time, which I suppose is an accomplishment right there. The album is not without its mellow moments, however, one of the highlights being “Le Grand Secret,” an eerie duet with Hole’s Melissa Auf Der Maur, who also plays bass on the track. (www.indo.fr)