Jack R. Jordan is a reporter for The Moultrie Observer. You can reach him at jack.jordan@gaflnews.com.

Last week we took a look back at the 2010s. I’d like to take the time this week to talk about a new(ish) artist who I think could do big things in 2022. I’m talking of the rock fusion duo, Paris Texas. The duo is made up of musicians Louie Pastel and Felix from Los Angeles, California. They haven’t ever released their real names, which provides a certain curiosity much like their music. 

Their newest EP, “Red Hand Akimbo” was released back in October and has not yet seen much chart (or rather any) success but have made waves in the underground L.A. music scene and on their SoundCloud platform. The duo first met in 2013 when Louie told a mutual friend he made beats and that friend introduced him to Felix. Paris Texas dropped their first EP, “I’ll get my revenge in hell” in October of that same year. They then mostly disappeared from the online scene but continued to play shows around Southern California captivating audiences with their impressive rock fusion sound. 

They released their second album, “Boy Anonymous,” which further solidified their sound as a rock/hip-hop fusion group in early 2021. Now after a brief synopsis let’s talk about the album itself, “Red Hand Akimbo.”

Made up of five songs, it is somewhat a concept story that is told mostly in interludes and epilogues within each song that are not directly related to each song. The music itself is a bit messy. Louie and Felix make up their music with a guitar, their voices and some produced beats that sound a bit slapstick at parts. 

One of my favorite songs, “girls like drugs,” is one of the best examples on the album of the group’s ability to fuse a hard, post grunge guitar sound with a drum machine, hi-hat lead beat. Behind that great mixture is Felix’s rap, which flows perfectly with the beat and whose inflection matches the guitar. 

Then the next song “RHM” sounds like a group who is trying to break new ground but just emulates a high school garage band that can’t decide what sound they’re really going for. The album’s opening track, “Dr. Aco’s Miracle Bullets” also fails to really mix the sound with great lyrical flows drowned out by an overpowering guitar. 

But, “BULLSEYE,” that is the highlight of the album. The second to last track is reminiscent of ’80s punk perfectly mixed with the modern inflective sounds of modern R&B and hip-hop. Imagine if The Clash and Drake collaborated on a song together.

Now, I said at the start of the column that I think this group is one to watch out for in 2022. It’s because I see the potential that Paris Texas has. “Red Hand Akimbo” isn’t the best representation of what this group could be. For only their third album, the group is still working to establish the sound that will rocket them forward. 

I’m certain that the group will be able to find some success in multiple genre charts if they can find that perfect sound. But as they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Neither is a rock/rap legend.

Jack R. Jordan is a reporter with The Moultrie Observer.