Candida
2008 Single Mystery
Reviewed by Dobbie Glasson
12th June 2008
Candida have just released their new single ‘Mystery’, also including two B-sides. This is their second release after their debut CD ‘Telstar’. Candida are: Joshua Debreceni on guitar and bass on the single’s title track, ‘Mystery’; Neil Thompson on vocals, guitar, bass and samples, Jason Thomas on electric violin and Matthew Fimeri banging out the drums and backing vocals.Candida is an Adelaide band who wants people to party, with their overall sound being electronica and funk fused with alternative rock grooves.
The single’s title track, ‘Mystery’, is brazen with glistening guitars and robotic samples. ‘The Cat Empire’ comes to mind here. It is a nice pop song and the music is mixed well, with nice separation and depth of sound. A glaring issue with the mix is however that the silky smooth vocals sit too far back. They should have been a big feature of this song and would have polished the track beautifully. There is a nice change with drums and guitars coming to the party, all pun intended. The lead is filled with a great melody line courtesy of clever guitars and violin, but the change of pace is so slow it sounds empty with the drums easing. A pity, but still a great ethereal soundscape enshrouds this song to make it feel like the Ibiza nightlife in summer.
‘Forbidden’, my personal favourite of the three cuts, is a delight; from the drum solo beginning and ‘The Cure’-like samples, to the powerful chord progression through the chorus, they all really make this song. With a hint of ‘Muse’, this tune is heavier than the others. The rolling drums and guitar riffs really make this song what it is – brilliant! Again, the stronger sounding, melodic vocals are back in the mix but the music is very well infused, with samples playing a big part in this track. Overall, an excellent song and the standout composition of this E.P.
Last but not least is ‘Sweet December’, and what a sweet song it is. The lyrics grab you before anything else, and at last, the vocals are where they should be - right up there, sitting well with the music. A very melodic tune, soft in the verses, rockier in the chorus. Guitars drive this song with high pitched leads with the underbelly drums used to keep the song beating along. If I was to reference it to a particular sound, I'd liken it to a heavy version of ‘Coldplay’.
Candida’s single ‘Mystery’, is overall a great listen. All songs are both well played and well arranged. My only critique is the uneven mixing and the stylistic variance of these three songs on the one CD. They all have different sounds maybe making it harder for a listener to get their head around, let alone buy?!
