Paco

One electro-pop band isn’t good enough for the likes of Dominique Durand and Andy Chase, who are also part of Ivy. The press release states that Paco is a side project allowing Durand to stretch her creative wings, but they don’t seem to have stretched very far. Opener "Satie” seems to pull in the listener to the seductive beats the best, but fails as a tribute to the French composer — he would have no doubt rejected such lush instrumentation. The real sound of Paco comes with the next track, "My Love,” which is all horns, choruses and pretty pop hooks. Everything here has such a slick pop sheen, one is left to ponder the limits of Durand’s creativity. Maybe a side project allowing her to stretch her market presence would be a better, albeit cynical, response. Worst offender is "Who Do You Think You Are?,” as the overused title belies the lack of originality in its hackneyed computer beats and vocal content. There are some interesting chill-out moments, but Paco never really lets them develop, instead drowning everything in slick layers that just remind us of better bands. The temptation to remind Durand to stick to her day job would be rather wasted as her main band, Ivy, seems to peddle in the same circles, so logic seems the best route as the world already has one Ivy and we don’t need another.