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.
