Pristine - Detoxing (2011)

Pristine is a Norwegian, Psychedelic, Blues Rock band. Heidi Solheim is the captivating front woman, with her memorable long red hair and striking eyes. This band offers a significant sound, incorporating Soul, Funk, Blues and Rock. Their debut album, Detoxing, is full of passionate, Fusion songs.
The first, named “Damned If I Do” has heavy Jazz and Blues elements, including a catchy chorus. The atmospheric start includes a scratching dark organ sound, a basic hi hat beat and gradual building vocals, which results in a heavy climax, a climbing guitar solo, and an emotional vocal conclusion. However this comes to an abrupt stop halfway through; (musical stops like this can be extremely effective, as they are unexpected). While “Damned If I Do” and “You Don’t Know” are brilliant songs, the sudden stops are in danger of ruining the flow of the rhythm.
One of the stand out tracks is “Breaking Bad” as this song identifies the beauty of simplicity, and the wonder of Blues Rock at its best. The band sounds tight and powerful, providing catchy Blues riffs with strong female vocals. “Damage Is Done” is mainly a funk track that again highlights the talents of Heidi’s voice, as she elegantly switches from passionate Classic Blues Rock to emotional, soulful vocals. “The Last Day” is a soulful ballad, showing the versatility of Heidi’s enchanting voice; this slow paced reflective song really outlines the ease of her vocal delivery and her poetic, yet catchy lyrics. The albums self-titled song, “Detoxing,” shows the psychedelic features of this band, incorporating their influences of both Hendrix and Zeppelin.
This album is one to reach for on those lazy days, where you require passionate vocals, with uplifting Blues guitar riffs, interesting musical arrangements and varying Fusion genre songs to ease you into the day. The Review: 8/10 (Steph Heath)