PAVEMENT PRINCESS – Second Skin (2021)
Finally, PAVEMENT PRINCESS second and final album “Second Skin” will be released tomorrow. After a two year hiatus following the passing in 2019 of René de Bie, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and half of the power duo PAVEMENT PRINCESS Erwin Arbon has painstakingly completed the band’s second and final release.
This Dutch band has captured and then transformed into their own the classic sound of bands like Danger Danger, Warrant, early Stryper, some Poison, Midnite City, etc. In fact PAVEMENT PRINCESS brings to mind Blue Tears ’80s lost albums a lot, and recent Italian AOR/MR project Wheels Of Fire.
Be aware there’s low-signal files of this album floating the web; this is the real one.
Erwin & René started writing songs for this second PAVEMENT PRINCESS shortly after their first effort ‘First Night Out’ was released in 2018. The idea was to really write the songs together, instead of the more separate songwriting they did for the debut.
But in June 2019, René suddenly passed away and for Erwin it was pretty hard to continue this project, so it took him a while to get it back on track.
Over the last two years, he finished the songs taking every effort to keep them as close as possible to the original ideas.
On first pass of ”Second Skin”, one can only sit back and appreciate the effort from the over the top harmonies, to the song craftsmanship, to the guitar driven (both rhythm and lead) efforts that weave this intricate tapestry of melodic rock, glam metal and AOR.
There’s is not a song here that won’t tickle your musical fancy. That dreaded skip button will be non-existent as René and Erwin are the true dynamic duo on this effort, a musical dynamic duo.
It’s so sad that such young – and talented – musician passed away. ”Second Skin” is his swan song, and a strong, good, enjoyable bunch of songs it is.
Highly Recommended
1 – We Own The Night
2 – Pavement Princess
3 – No Is The Answer
4 – Troublemaker
5 – In The Name Of Rock And Roll
6 – Let It Rain
7 – Up Until The Sunrise
8 – Forever
Rene de Bie – vocals, rhythm guitar, drums
Erwin Arbon – lead and rhythm guitars, bass, keyboards
BUY IT
pavementprincess.bandcamp.com/
