Candela

by

Mice Parade

I didn't really know Mice Parade, but I had heard about the project from some friends. So of course, when they passed through Chicago at one of my favorite clubs, I had to stop in. They were touring their forthcoming album, Candela, their first in many years, if I'm not mistaken. The band performed as a three piece, Adam, Dan Lippel, a tremendous guitarist who I still remember the name of, and a woman with one of the most absolutely beautiful drop-dead voices I ever heard, who only years later, I discovered went by the name Mr. Silla. After the concert, I picked up this newly released record on vinyl. It will forever remind me of that autumn in Chicago. This is an absolutely incredible record that stands out in its pure originality. I got to see the trio perform again the following summer when I was in Reykjavik and they happened to be in town the same week and performing at my hostel! Looking back to those shows, many of the beautiful songs that they performed, which were said to be on the shortly forthcoming record, never appeared. Only one or two of them are recognizable on the album that was recently released, about 10 years later. Mr. Silla does not sing on this album and it is a completely different band, yet equally tremendous. This record is one of a kind and stands remarkably against the test of time.