Any Version of Me is a mystery man from Paris, France. I am not fluent in French, but his music speaks volumes. "The Good Old Days" seems to me a seamless blend of Brian Wilson and Gilbert O'Sullivan with a touch of Colin Blunstone (Zombies). The touchstone here is Pet Sounds/Abbey Road production (using vintage instruments), with "More" it also recalls a gentle late 60's songwriting style that touches pop greatness. The vocal on the lonely ballad "Tonight" has a soaring falsetto that makes it work similar to Eric Carmen doing Ziggy Stardust. The next several tracks wander into Herman's Hermits territory, which isn't a bad thing, but it fails to generate the excitement of the earlier tracks. "Something's Gonna Happen" is a fun baroque sixties throwback a la The Parade, but the next track "Take Some Time" is a well written and original Beatlesque gem. And the ending track, "All I Will Keep From You" even ends with a Beach Boys multi-part harmony fade out. Some fans may think this album too derivative (which is true) but it has enough original songwriting to carry it through to highly recommended status. Wasted Sun. The sound of the band is decided retro, blending both Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Colin Blunstone (The Zombies) in wonderful combination. You'll also hear bits of The Beatles, Nick Drake and The Turtles in the tracks as well, and it's fun to spot each influence here. "Monday" is a great starting track with a bass line similar to "Lady Madonna" that bounces along and the lush horn details flesh out the song. The echoing old piano that drives "Seems Like Everyday Is Something New" is a solid tune with a touch melancholy. AVOM uses a plethora of instruments, from ukulele to organ on the sweet "Normal Life." The composition and instrumentation on the Wilson-influenced title track "Wasted Sun" is totally mesmerizing and can be compared to "Til I Die." The moody brilliance continues on several tracks, notably "Don't Try Too Hard" and "Down To The Sea." Another standout is the 7 minute opus "With The Moon" which has awesome melodies, strong harmonies and could fit right on "Smile." One can find fault in that several songs seem to end abruptly ("Early One Morning"), or drift off into an unrelated melody. Overall the album's beautiful but somber mood is so effective, you'll find repeat listens a must. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Any+Version+Of+Me">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.