With a startling new look, the multi-talented British singer-songwriter and video artist Beth Jeans Houghton returns with her powerfully anthemic glam rock, grunge pop and fuzz guitar indie in this follow-up to 2021’s Homecoming and featuring guests Laura Jane Grace, v, Skin, and Maxïmo Park’s Paul Smith. It’s her fourth LP since relaunching as Du Blonde, after the original Hooves of Destiny band debut in 2012, and the Newcastle artist seems to have settled into this strong, simpler style of strong melodies in guitar rock, overlaying backing vocals, and a style that nods towards American mainstream rock, with eccentric twists. Houghton is an impressive example of independent, industrious all-round creativity – writing, playing, producing everything here on her own label, and also directing her own videos, as well as those of others. There’s a verve and sense of feisty freedom in her songs too, flipping the finger at unsavoury characters, dismissing heartbreakers, and taking an ironic look at self-image and the music industry. On that latter note, standouts include lacerating Next Big Thing (featuring Skunk Anansie’s Skin) with the caustic line: “He only touched you a few times/ So why does it bother you?”; TV Star, the meaty riffs of Dollar Coffee which with the talky bits echoes the parody voice of Moon Zappa on on her dad Frank Zappa’s Valley Girl; the bouncy joy of ode to independence of Solitary Individual with Laura Jane Grace'; and the fabulously catchy but toxic relationship-themed Blame, the gentler, heartbreak piano ballad Out Of A Million; and Radio Jesus, a fuzz guitar power-pop singalong strummer featuring Smith and Ross Millard. Out on Daemon TV.
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