Even though I was disappointed to see that the new Paris Texas project was an EP rather than a full length project, the few new songs that come with Red Hand Akimbo are good at worst and spectacular at best. The duo’s follow up to BOY ANONYMOUS, a short record which I loved at first and have only become more enamored with since, Red Hand Akimbo delves even deeper into the rock/hip-hop crossover the group has become known for.
The lead single for the project, “girls like drugs,” threw me for a loop upon release; although the track makes sense sonically in Paris Texas’s catalog, it seemed a bit lacking in song progression, save for an instrumental changeup in the last 30 seconds. The track has grown on me a bit since then however, due to the earworm-inciting chorus and palpably solid guitar lines. Only recently did I realize through the lyrics that the title of the song is actually a comparison (girls are like drugs) rather than a statement of what women want. Project opener “Dr. Aco’s Miracle Bullets” sees Louie Pastel addressing comments on the group’s genre classification, as well as a line about how people think he sounds like Baby Keem, the latter of which had me dying laughing as I recall thinking the exact same thing after hearing “FORCE OF HABIT” for the first time. The banger production returns to the hardcore guitar chords and punching drums of “HEAVY METAL,” which, when paired with the scream-worthy chorus of “Woah, bitch I’m geeked,” makes for a track that would go crazy in a live show. Felix’s verse is quite sticky, as per usual, but nothing absolutely mindblowing. “RHM” takes a more emotional turn, with Louie expressing the desire to trade money for friends instead. This indicates that the title of the track stands for “right hand man,” although it could still have to do with Red Hand Akimbo. The shoegaze-like production makes for an especially dreamy and intimate soundscape, quickly making it one of my favorite songs the group has released so far. The following “BULLSEYE” commits fully to a garage/emo-rock sound, given the especially whiny and filtered vocals delivered by Louie and Felix. Admittedly, this song initially stuck out like a sore thumb, giving me the impression that I’d never want to listen to it again. I’ve since come around to it however, and recognize it as a very important step in Paris Texas’s artistic progression, should they choose to further pursue this sound. At just 5 tracks long, one of which is a postlude (“Epilogue”) and another of which was released before the project came out, Red Hand Akimbo was destined to fail to live up to my hype and expectations of a concentrated full-length effort. That’s not to say that the project is greatly flawed, however; each song offers something that no Paris Texas song has offered before. With that being said, I’m still highly anticipating the group’s next strides as they (hopefully) work towards releasing a full body of work. Songs to check out from Red Hand Akimbo are “Dr. Aco’s Miracle Bullets” and “RHM.”
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AuthorEnrique Cardenas III Archives
November 2021
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