Chew Lips

January 29, 2010

I considered waiting a few days or so before posting again, but this really couldn’t wait and I figured it’d be a good way to kick-off your weekend–or year, my dearly beloved procrastinator. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware of the blogosphere and its ongoing love affair with electronic bands (especially those led by a female vocalist), but let’s be honest… they make a really cute couple.

Two words come to mind when I think of Chew Lips: Listen! and Now! Well, OK. More like, “Chew-What?” but that’s besides the point. We can’t all match wits with Dr. Funke’s 100% Natural Good Time Family Band Solution now can we? After releasing two buzz singles on a boutique label (Solo and Salt Air via Kitsuné Records), the London-based trio teamed up with Bat For Lashes collaborator, David Kosten and threw all caution to the wind… in the form of spandex leggings and floor-filling basslines.

Their debut album Unicorn is a bullet-proof vinyl showcasing youth and a warrant to stay relevant. While they carry a style that seems to have themed all of 2009 and then some, the band fearlessly composed a record that makes me sheepishly reminiscent and yet genuinely anxious to hear more. Track after track (repeatedly might I add) lion-hearted vocalist, Tigs, refuted any and all of my preconceptions. Her soulful croon passes glances at Fever Ray and Karen O, while Will and James geek-out on scattered ping-pong beats and restless synths. It all makes good for a damned party if not an incredibly fast drive home… but the band isn’t all happy-go-lucky on merry-go-rounds. Numbers like Too Much Talking and Piano Song separate them from the likes of La Roux, revealing a much more sensitive side of the group that confesses just how serious they are.

MP3 Chew Lips – Play Together
MP3 Chew Lips – Toro

Posted by Cheryse in Artist Spotlight