Review of Supernova – March 20th, 2005
By Dave Howell
“The music of Liquid Blue is an exotic blend of western pop melodies with ancient and modern eastern sounds,” says the band’s website. Liquid Blue also features three hot babes who sing and dance, named Nikki Nova, Layla Loxa and Devonne Dawn.
Liquid Blue seems to be taking Indian pop music and making it palatable to Westerners, the same way Gloria Estefan took Latin music beyond its usual audiences.
Some of the CD sounds like radio pop music, but the background music makes it more interesting than the average DJ fare. There are tablas and emulated strings that sound straight out of Bollywood. And although the three women have porn star names, they carry a tune well enough.
The CD cover reflects this unusual combination, with a stylized mandala on the front, and a picture of the scantily dressed “blue girls” on the back.
Another difference here is the lyrics. Rather than the usual cliché about relationships, the songs deal with topics unusual for pop music. For example, “Making Up” begins: “Israel and Palestine, North and South Korea/So many years apart why I have no idea.” Not all of them work, but it is refreshing to hear different themes. Even “Give Me Back My Heart,” which sounds like a love song, is a veiled slam at the American occupation of Iraq.
A picture on the band’s website shows them meeting with Jimmy Carter, who appreciated this song about world peace. I have to make one objection – on the CD sleeve page that lists the lyrics, one of the leaders pictured is Ralph Nader. Delivering the United States to George W. Bush does not seem like a step towards world peace. Otherwise, the song is OK.
This band has played in sixty countries since 2001. This is really World music, appealing to people all over the globe.
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