VANILLA NINJA - stub review added 16th December 2008
Album Review: Blue Tattoo (2005)
For fans of: hard rock... and bands with very, very silly names
As demonstrated rather ably by 'Never Gotta Know', Estonian band Vanilla Ninja do a good line in naff throw away pop music. Fortunately, they also do an even better line in powerful emotive rock.
Songs like 'Cool Vibes', 'The Coldest Night', 'My Puzzle Of Dreams' and 'Nero' are excellent and match the best work of bands like Heart. Hints of gothic rock and dance creep into these tracks occasionally, but the overall sound is surprisingly heavy. The real star however is the title track which is one of the best moody rock songs you could ever hope to hear.
As an album Blue Tattoo is far from perfect. There is an excess of bouncy and bland teen drivel throughout the release, presumably to appeal to the young audience the band are targeting, but there are still some absolute gems hidden amongst the fluff. Lets hope they do a full-on rock album one day!
Check out... 'Cool Vibes' performed at the 2005 Eurovision contest. See it on YouTube.
Track List:
1. Blue Tattoo
2. Cool Vibes
3. Never Gotta Know
4. Just Another Day to Live
5. I Don't Care at All
6. The Coldest Night
7. Hellracer
8. I Know
9. Corner of My Mind
10. Undercover Girl
11. My Puzzle of Dreams
12. Nero
13. Just Another Day to Live [Extended Version]
14. Corner of My Mind [Extended Version]
Artist's websites: Vanilla Ninja , MySpace
