Re-issue of a single originally released in the UK last November to support their LP’s US release, if the mention of the word ‘Fratellis’ still sends a cold shiver down your spine, then this won’t do much to warm you back up. Jon Lawler’s other band, comprising himself and Glasgow chanteuse Lou Hickey, are a different animal to everyone’s favourite Chas N Dave copyists, with dueling male/female vocals and the musical emphasis on big band arrangements and horn sections. The normal, lazy thoughts of Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra, however are redundant; instead, think more of comparing between Smokey Robinson, and Plan B’s re-branding as a chunky Amy Winehouse; the similarities exist in only that CVC comprise a man, and a lady, who sing. Hickey’s voice is strong enough, however Lawler’s is weak, and unfortunately flat; meaning that however husky the horn arrangement is, the track carries all the noir-ish menace of a cocker spaniel. If you managed to avoid this first time round, say a prayer of thanks to whatever deity you follow for protecting you from bad records, and don’t seek it out now.
Seizing opportunities presented by the digital space, Codeine Velvet Club‘s album will be released in an innovative manner.
Codeine Velvet Club have got me calling call Hollywood ‘Tinseltown’, name checking Old Blue Eyes and telling strangers in bars that, back in the day, you never had to worry about a dead hooker in the pool so long as you knew the right people. A side project of Fratellis’ front man Jon Lawler and singer-songwriter Lou Hickey, CVC make a spirited attempt to annex the swath of retro musical territory stretching from noir to Nancy Sinatra. The band’s opening thrust – their panzer strike through the Ardennes, if you will – gets things off to a cracking start. This reviewer’s favourite track, ‘Hollywood’, is a punchy number oozing silver screen delight and film noir charm that serves as a sort of manifesto for the rest of the homage-heavy album. Hard on its heels comes the probably-just-as-good-now-I-come-to-think-of-it ‘Vanity Kills’, a Broadway-style show tune that ups the swing and smooch factor with lines like “Life’s a roll of the dice/But you’ll pay the price/When that curtain falls”.
A collaboration between Jon Lawler of Fratellis’ fame and up-and-coming jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer Lou Hickey, the Codeine Velvet Club unleash their lavish debut single, a track soaked in glitter, jazzy charm and a cheeky slither of bitchiness. An upbeat intro leads into a brassy, vibrant number bursting with cabaret cool. Lawler and Hickey share vocal duties, with Hickey taking the bulk of the lead, a role which Hickey, who has two self-produced EPs under her belt, rises to superbly. Meanwhile, the song’s sassy chorus, which finds Hickey sultrily telling us “Life’s a roll of the dice/But you pay the price”, has a vibe wedged somewhere between a Bond theme song and a Hollywood show tune extravaganza. Glitzy and dramatic, ‘Vanity Kills’ easily musters enough cinematic atmosphere to demand repeat listening, while offering something entirely different from the pack of copycat indie and electro-pop bands out there.
