Erika - United States Of Erika (CD)

ERIKA from Sweden did not put out something in a while. "United States Of Erika" marks the first effort in roundabout four years. It has got some fine melodies and also showcases a rather contemporay production. Check out "Poison Ivy Punch" and "Give Up The Ghost" as well as the emotional ballad "Sugarcoated" foremost. The title track is well done, too. At the end of the day, it's a solid hybrid of melodic and hard rock. The voice of the female singer luckily still has got that certain crispiness which is rather pretty rare to the melodic genre unfortunately. (MS)