Bring Da Noise! Ettes!
I lie awake praying I'll one day be this cool.
Do you love awesome British front women, minus the crazy? Then you’ll love the Noisettes! Fronted by the chic singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, they’re a punk/pop/rock/soul trio on the verge of stardom in the U.S. I mean is there any performer on the Wendy Williams Show who doesn’t explode after “the big hair bump”? (I want trade marking rights to that, FOX). Completing the trio are guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison, but there is no doubt who the star of the band is. Ms. Soniwa is as funky cool as her look and music would suggest. She’s less clean cut than Duffy and less psycho than Amy Winehouse, and from what I know, more clothed than Lily Allen. And if you don’t trust my taste in music, trust Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone (in the interest of full disclosure, I have their poster on my wall), as those stars of the recently-hiatused “TV On The Radio” let The Noisettes join them on tour.
While their first studio release, What’s the Time Mr. Wolf? (2007), is edgy, their recent Wild Young Hearts (2009) is well rounded. The first and arguably best track “Sometimes” opens sounding like new TV On The Radio. Yet instead of hearing the unmistakable sound of Captain Adebimpe* we get the beautiful Ms. Soniwa. The track goes down smooth and easy, with a brilliant vocal display. But fear not, the tempo quickens and “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” (the first single from the record) detonates inside your ear. DUTR serves as the club- and crowd-pleasing dance track. Not terribly deep lyrics for the chorus, but a fun party starter. The third and title track “Wild Young Hearts” sounds like a faster “Ain’t Got You” mixed with the Strokes.
I could actually go song by song raving about this cd, because I have listened to it almost without stop recently, but I’ll self-edit. So I’ll skip to “Never Forget You” which screams Amy Winehouse from the opening line “What you drinking/ Rum or whiskey/ Why doncha have/ A double with me.” But like each song, it has elements of bad-ass guitars, Supremes-esque doo wops, and is positively dripping with British flavor.
So, if you’re anything like me and your mouth waters every time you hear Amy Winehouse’s cover of “Valerie” (that is until you see a picture of her), then, boy (or lady), are you gonna like this record! I’ll give you some hotties to preview but go buy the whole thing, you won’t regret it.
Don’t Upset the Rhythm – Noisettes (YSI)
Wild Young Hearts – Noisettes (YSI)
*not an actual captain
