Från www.movinghands.com The April Tears - Half-closed Eyes, Imperfect Kisses 7/10 Despite being followed by misfortune, The April Tears have always been taken care of by their guardian angel, the media. I will not mention that celebrities as Dave Gahan and Martin Gore have spoken positively of the band, since everybody else already have. The April Tears are actually famous as a synth oriented band, but from my point of view, that is unfortunate because they are much better off as a rock band. Even though most of the songs are built up with dynamics and harmonics inherited from the new wave scene, the instrumental setting and the vocals are definitely rock. About the new album, it consists of a collection of songs written during the nineties. Most of them got lost when the band tore their first contract(s) to pieces and whatnot a couple of times. Some of them at least sound like b-side tracks. If I were allowed to remove or replace a few tracks, it most certainly would be “Some Delight in Store” (please stop using the word “delight” in synthpop songs!), because I don’t approve of ridiculous sing-along Eurovision Song Contest synthpop. I would also get rid of the Sahara Hotnightish sound in “Boy in a Mess”. Apart from the stuff I have been bitching about, this is quite an enjoyable album. It’s Depeche Mode meets Republica. It is easy to take in, well produced and catchy often enough to please even the hoi polloi. Most of all, it is quite attractive. /Anna Singer Back