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Darling Parade - Battle Scars and Broken Hearts

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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This modern alt-rock foursome from Nashville has had measured success in the recent past including with their 2011 E.P. Until We Say It's Over, an effort that landed them in the Top 10 on Billboard's "Next Big Sound" chart. Now with their debut full-length album Battle Scars and Broken Hearts Darling Parade is poised to fulfill Billboard's prediction.

Kristin Kearns is the voice of Darling Parade and true to the album's title she's singing here mostly about love gone wrong and relationships hanging on by a thread. Leave it to the weepy singer/songwriters though to look for a shoulder to sob on; Darling Parade crank up the guitars for the radio-ready Foo Fighters/Joan Jett mash-up "Messin' With Me," the pithy kiss-off of "Just Another" and the Pat Benatar-recalling "Coming Undone," all of which have hit single potential.

Those songs will have to wait their turn though; with a hooky sing-along chorus and tons of melodic guitar "Ghost" is the pop perfection that'll be haunting the charts for awhile.

Kearns' vocals project strength throughout; the women she portrays in these songs are damaged but not done, and only on album closer "With You" does she sound truly hurt.

Otherwise, despite the heartbreak theme, Battle Scars and Broken Hearts has been carefully crafted for windows-down-play-it-loud fun. Don't leave the room or mute the TV when a Supercuts commercial comes on later this year; that's Darling Parade on screen rocking to their song "Summer."

Battle Scars and Broken Hearts is available now digitally at iTunes here and on CD at Amazon.


Watch the Darling Parade video for "Ghost" here

Darling Parade - Battle Scars and Broken Hearts
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