Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/25/2009
The North London family band
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis will fill hearts of older listeners with hope and introduce their younger fans to the early American rock music that is the foundation for all of today's disposable pop. Their father
Graeme is a music fanatic and introduced the trio to the sounds of
Louis Jordan,
Johnny Horton,
Wynonie Harris, and
Ray Charles, and the kids took it from there. They hunted down vintage instruments and recording equipment and recorded their self-titled album in the studio
Lewis built in his bedroom. Most of the tunes on this 13-track expanded American edition of their British debut are covers, but the four originals, three by
Lewis and two composed by all the siblings with their father, stand up to the eclectic collection of covers. The originals are
"Buggin' Blues" with
Daisy turning in a, pardon the cliché, blue, sassy vocal that belies her years and
Lewis tickling the ivories like a maniac,
"Baby Hold Me Back," a jump blues with gypsy rhythm guitar, subtle trumpet noodling a glockenspiel (?) ,and a driving primitive drumbeat,
"Say You'll Be Mine," a Chicago-meets-London-blues groove with
Lewis on lead vocals, and two instrumentals --
"Ride" a rockabilly romp featuring dad
Graeme on guitar, and
"Swinging Hawaii," a rockabilly-meets-Hawaiian thing with some tasty lapsteel and banjo from
Lewis. They're all first-rate, if a bit rough, but on the covers they really take off.
Daisy's gruff vocal on
"Goin' Up the Country" rides a bouncy groove from the rest of the family that has energy to spare, then she delivers
"I Got My Mojo Working" with plenty of attitude and
Lewis laying down some clanking lead guitar.
"Mean Son of a Gun," an old
Johnny Horton hit, swings like crazy, driven by
Lewis' guitar and
Daisy's wild vocal.
Charlie Rich's
"Mohair Sam" is primitive R&B with
Daisy playing off her vocals against
Lewis' chattering guitar. The recording quality is pure analogue and a bit ragged, but it only adds to the album's authentic charm.
~j. poet, All Music Guide
;)
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