Balcony's Paradise Spot The Difference

ALBUM RELEASE DATE had to be postponed to 6.6.2025
With Spot The Difference, embark on a journey of chiaroscuro and discover the Balcony’s Paradise project in a whole new light.
Psychedelia implies an alteration of perception. From the very first track, hollow diary, we're taken on an adventure into a timeless sonic space of echoes and resonances, a mysterious atmosphere and spherical guitar melodies. Taken far from the ground, we continue with a frankly experimental track reminiscent of Chet Baker. And while the track spot the difference introduces us to a very sad Lorenz O’tool, with an oppressed and almost broken voice, we go with him, and further on, the magic works and we feel a certain appeasement and all the beauty of melancholy and hope with the levitating fishing next to the lilies.
In short, a pleasant surprise for those familiar with Balcony’s Paradises first album. O’tool initially approached the project's second album by returning to the origins of the first, in the depths of the Australian outback, alongside his partner on drums and co-founder of the project, Jeremy Tayler. He came back with songs from the same duo, more composed, less improvised, but just as catchy. It's a pleasure to rediscover that wild charm, that garage that seems to come naturally. The melodies of the new tracks, love longing, one of these nights, are stuck in our heads, and we recognize the same sparkle, the poetry of the lyrics, free and unpretentious as some of the tracks from O’tools very first band, the brilliant Berlin combo Chuckamuck.
The penultimate track on the album, college knowledge, is punky and brief, a little wackier, funnier and energizing, but like the other tracks, it's never overtly happy, but always nuanced. The album also features a number of covers, 4 in all, including a wonderful version of silly girl by Television Personalities, two tracks by M.O.T.O., and weird ways, taken from the solo album by Jeff Clarke, member of the Black Lips - three bands who definitely inspired O'tool musically, who is also a producer, as well as the guitarist, bassist and co-lead singer of post-punk band Die Verlierer.
The first single released from the album, aftermoon, marks this change of style and the plot twist of Spot the Difference. It seems that, although still in Australia, O'tool had begun to feel that he wanted to offer something different. aftermoon has us dreaming with its floating sweetness, like wandering on an empty beach at dawn.
Drummer smallbarsh contributed to the project on the Berlin tracks. The saxophone in ‘fishing next to the lilies’ is played by Philipp Gropper, who is well known especially for his avant-garde jazz. All in all, the album is both an intense immersive experience and a bittersweet comfort, and you quickly become addicted to the escapist pleasure molecule it provokes. Enjoy the difference
V. Varlet