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Paramore
Paramore

Formerly plying their trade under the moniker Renata, after two independent albums the band came to rest on the Virgin records as a result of A&R executive and producer Jeff Blue co writing songs and producing demos with the band after signing them to the label. The result is an exquisite album incorporating superbly clear production with some cool pop songs. It could be argued that Maroon 5 have got this end of the market covered but the whereas Maroon 5 err on the side of the mawkishness, The Last Goodnight offer a more urgent dynamic with far greater depth. The triumvirate of ‘Poison Kiss’, ‘Back Where We Belong’ and ‘Stay Beautiful’ all borrow heavily from Maroon 5 with a heavy groove and sleight of hook. But it’s to their credit that The Last Goodnight keep things fresh; the smart pop of the single ‘Pictures Of You’ has a chorus that remains embedded in the grey matter long after the song has ended and ‘This Is The Sound’ is reminiscent of the ambient indie rock so successfully purveyed on the latest No Second Troy album. Elsewhere there are plenty more upbeat offerings, like the hooky ‘Incomplete’ or the dreamy ‘Return To Me’ making ‘Poison Kiss’ one of the most complete pure pop records of 2007.