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More Soul Than Wigan Casino (Fortuna Pop!)
A labour of love courtesy of Fortuna Pop!, from the sweetly retro cover design,
to the sleevenotes (are they still ‘sleevenotes’ on a cd?) in
which each band explains their choice of song. Here we find four indie stalwarts
having a crack at covering Northern Soul tracks. My knowledge of Northern
Soul wouldn’t even fill one of those groovy embroidered patches, alls
I know is it sounds damn fine and is mighty fun to move to. That’s good
enough for me.
Kicker have always had
that breezy cut grass shimmy and their version of ‘Since You Left’
(The Inticers - 1965) sparkles like an April shower, catching you unawares,
making you grin. There’s humming, buzzing organ and snazzy little brass
runs and Jill throwing herself into the vocal like a good ‘un. It’s
The Style Council with the windows thrown open, designed to make you spin
dementedly on the living room floorboards.
Butterflies Of Love: Dan’s
lovelorn voice is on form, cracking perfectly over ‘Two Lovers’
(Mary Wells - 1962) as the Butterflies fizz and crash, building a booming
backing that’s replete with
bar-room piano, shivering reverb and rolling drums. When are the Butterflies
Of Love re-emerging anyway?
Comet Gain manage to make
‘If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life’ (Dena Barnes – 1967) sound
like
The Byrds dancing round a hot tambourine with The Shangri Las. In typically
contrary Feckster style they’ve re-written the lyrics (in the pub, natch)
“to piss off the purists” (always a good motive). Of the four
tracks here, this is the one that’ll hide itself in your brain forever,
emerging at random moments in
a bewildering burst of handclaps and the desperate need to sing your heart
out a la Rachel C.G.
Airport Girl smoulder
and growl their way through ‘Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette)’
(Benny Spellman 1962/ O’Jays 1965) creating a warm, echoey feel that’s
reminiscent of the brothers Reid (JAMC not
The Proclaimers) during one of their more reflective moments. You’ll
probably not be cutting a rug to this one, more likely you’ll lie sprawled
on the rug, savouring
the heartbeat thump of the drums.
www.fortunapop.com
R.R.R.G: Careless magnesium flare whir
