”Paragon” is the title of the highly anticipated solo debut album from vocalist FLOOR JANSEN – current Nightwish and former After Forever and ReVamp singer. This is quite different musically from what Floor has been done: rock &pop melody-based.
Filled with ten original tracks, ”Paragon” showcases Jansen’s impressive vocal range and songwriting abilities. From powerful ballads to hard-hitting pop-rock tracks, this album has something for fans of all musical genres.
”Paragon” eschews the heavy stuff for stripped back pop melodies and dramatic balladry, its tone, as on sparkling, euphoric opener ‘My Paragon’, bright, hopeful and wide-eyed. And while there is a sprinkle of Nightwish fairytale-esque magic here and there – the twinkling piano on ‘Daydream’ captures the innocent reveries of Tuomas’s early work, while ‘The Calm’ begins with the swell of an orchestra – the music always seeks to complement, not augment.
Many of these songs are about conjuring space. Sometimes it’s space to breathe, such as on the sparse, blissful Hope. But more often, it’s to make room for the nuances of Floor’s voice, so accustomed to battling against glittering, relentless walls of sound, to dominate.
Occasionally, as on the climax of ‘Storm’ and ‘Me Without You’, when Floor’s forceful vocals swamp the otherwise gentle instrumentation, that dynamic proves overwhelming. Elsewhere, her voice carries what are clearly personal, emotional songs.
Take gorgeous closer ‘Fire’, a slow-burning epic written as life began to flood back into society following the darkest days of the pandemic. Or ‘Invincible’, a stirring track Floor penned about PTSD, but which is difficult not to interpret in the light of her recent cancer diagnosis (she has announced that, following treatment, she is now cancer-free): ‘Starting life once more / Pushed into recovery / The choice no longer yours / Pushed to self-discovery’).
No doubt, this will be a tough sell for the Nightwish fans who prefer the histrionic, more-is-more approach of symphonic metal. Instead, this is an album for those who find themselves spellbound by Floor’s truly fantastic voice and who can appreciate this as a showcase for her undisputed talent.
1. My Paragon
2. Daydream
3. Invincible
4. Hope
5. Come Full Circle
6. Storm
7. Me Without You
8. The Calm
9. Armoured Wings
10. Fire
Floor Jansen (Nightwish) – Paragon (2023)
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