This year at Cornerstone's new band stage, I had the chance to see one of the most exciting new bands, Estis P@rc. After hearing about five bands (on different stages) that all sounded the same, I was expecting Estis P@rc to be like everyone else and play a boring blend of cookie-cutter alternative and rock. But Estis P@rc did not let me down, they played one of the best shows of the whole festival and became one of my favorite new bands. Their first studio project, Sometimes Not, has never been too far from my CD player ever since I took the wrapper off.
So what do they sound like? Without a doubt, Estis P@rc is going to end up being compared to Starflyer 59 and Bon Voyage, but don't think that they are some kind of rip-off band. It is only natural that a new band sounds a lot like their musical influences, but at the same time, a good band should build on their influences with their own unique style. Estis P@rc has built on what bands like Starflyer have done by adding incredible vocals and a space-rock sound.
The most notable difference between Estis P@rc and other modern bands is pure vocal quality. Lead vocalist Magdelyn Waggoner has a beautifully haunting voice that is unlike any other in rock music today. While many modern bands seem to have forgotten the concept of vocal articulation, Magdelyn delivers all the vocals with beautiful clarity. The band backs her vocals with a solid rock beat, catchy bass lines, and spacey guitar. The songs range from slow Hawaiian influenced love songs to full blown rockers, but most are somewhere in-between.
The band's lyrics point to their faith in God, and talk about their struggles with every day life. "While You're Away" is a love song written to God. Magdelyn sings "don't stay away too long, you're so wonderful...you're so beutiful...I need you tonight, I miss you..." "Brown Paper Bag" is about how difficult it is to surrender to God's will and "Sometimes Not" talks about trying to minister to a lonely boy.
Over all, this is a very strong debut project. Estis P@rc still has plenty of room to grow, especially in the predictability of their lyrics, but their pure talent is unmistakable. It's only a matter of time until Estis P@rc gets snatched up by a major record label and becomes the subject of many magazine articles, so do yourself a favor and pick up their debut CD - it's destined to be a collectors item.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #74Reviewed by Doug Van PeltWhoa! Nice sultry female vocals. First impressions made me think of a cross between Fleming & John and Viva Voce. The guitars are subdued Starflyer-style much of the time. Very cool. Check out the band's song, "Sunny Day," on this issue's Hard Music Sampler CD.The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinAxtell, Nebraska is not a place one would normally consider a hotbed of alternative rock and roll. Maybe a hotbed of boredom where you sit around swatting flies in the shadow of the grain silo. Certainly a most unlikely place for the emergence of one of the hottest new bands to play the Cornerstone 1998 New Band Stage. Estis P@rc's indie debut, Sometimes Not, proves that Nebraska is not just a…
