A World Next Door to Yours is SAMA winning four piece band The Parlotones’ third studio album, recently launched along with Xbox 360’s anticipated Halo 3 game.

Although distinctly Indie, The Parlotones have become known for merging innovative techniques with conventional music to create compositions which I think gives them the right to their very own unique genre, much like Boo!’s Monki Punk. I think I will call it ParPhonic; lusciously lyrical, melodically romantic and musically explosive.

Without fail, The Parlotones deliver easy listening songs, with profoundly deep and meaningful lyrics. Described as a “sonic journey into the mind of Kahn Morbee”, A World Next Door to Yours is definitely a musical showcase of lead vocalist, Kahn’s way with words, soothing the ear with lyrics such “… I’m on the side of the moon that always shines on you…” and “Still beauty, colourful, these blossoms are ever bloom…”.

 The first single released from A World Next Door to Yours is the larger than life “Giant Mistake”, currently playing on Jacaranda 94.2. Hauntingly dramatic, complete with violins and a definitive sound layering, “Giant Mistake” is an audible example of the amount of skill and work that went into the whole album. The song is catchy (by the third listen I caught myself singing along) and makes for good easy listening.

Something The Parlotones does so well is the anthemic love song and there are a couple on this album; “I’ll Be There” and “Perfect Place” are beautifully written and composed love songs but it is the melodic romanticism of “Baby Be Mine” that melted me.  Granted, it’s not a traditional love ballad, but “Baby Be Mine” is unquestionably a song to fall in love with.

What would a Parlotones album be without some explosive, energetic music? What I miss on an otherwise perfect release, is the Parlotones’ trademark megaphone and with the exception of “Dance”, their almost jerky style.  “Dance” is a lively tune and one of the only tracks on the album that seems to stay true to the chic of the big hits from Radiocontrolledrobot.

The Parlotones roped in some pretty impressive names for A World Next Doors to Yours and the credits read a bit like a who’s who of SA music names, with Theo Crous (Springbok Nude Girls) playing guitar and arranging strings, Adriaan Brand (also from the Nudies) playing the trumpet, Mike Horne (Hog Hoggidy Hogg) playing drums on “Window Shopper” and Inge Beckman (Lark vocalist) joining Kahn on vocals for “Giant Mistake”.