Summoning musical echoes and powerful, soaring vocals reminiscent of The Smiths and Vauxhall-era Morrissey and dash of rockabilly, Richard Hawley, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, an impressive debut from the Chicago-based rock band fronted by vocalist – the be-quiffed Wes Leavins. There’s not the quite the classic cutting irony of the Manchester band, but that smooth slide between rich deep and falsetto, multi-syllable melancholy, jangling and heavy whammy-bar and Johnny Marr guitar styles (especially on I Wanna Die In The Suburbs), some memorable lines, such as on Pink Palace (“decapitation and masturbation don’t go hand in hand”) is all highly reminiscent and brilliantly executed. Other standouts include the fabulously bittersweet Impressively Human, the title track, the more Presley-style Eddie My Love, the Strokes-y You Are Only Made of My Dreams, and the beautifully tender Presley/Hawley-like closing track Always Be Fine. A throwback to the 50s and 80s, but a very strong, genuine, and heartfelt one done very well indeed. Out on ATO Records.
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