In August 2009, a British indie band released their 2'nd album Two Dancers on Domino records (UK).
The first single off the album was a track called "Hooting & Howling", this is now being re-released.
Which gives me enough of an excuse to review the album.
But first a brief history of the band, originally formed as a duo in 2002 under the name Fauve,
french for wild beast (also a 20C art movement lead by Henri Matisse & Andre Derain), by 2004
they had adopted the English version & in 2007 signed to Domino records. In 2008 they released
"Limbo Panto" their debut album noted for its vaudeville & cabaret influence, with tracks such as
"Brave bulging buoyant clairvoyants" with the lead singer Hayden Thorpe's falsetto voice signalling
them as a band to watch.
In 2009 they released their 2'nd album to almost universal acclaim, the Sunday times gave it their album
of the week & one of 2009's masterpieces, with practically all the other music journalists following suit.
Two Dancers is a fantastically original album from the very 1'st track "The fun powder plot" through
"Hooting & Howling" with its clockwork orange theme of violence & language ("A crude art, a
Bovver boot ballet equally elegant & ugly") & the sheer decadent A.S.B.O. challenging joy of
"We still got the taste dancing on our tongues" with the singers voice lulling you into total
agreement with his point of view. All the way to the final track "Empty nest" with its chiming
guitars & that weary voice telling you "it's gone, gone," this is an album that doesn't put
a foot wrong. This album has a musical & lyrical ingenuity that is beautiful with lines such
as "we're all quiffed & cropped, this is our lot, we hold each other up heavy with hop" &
"any rival who goes for our girls will be left thumb sucking in terror & bereft of all coffin
bearers" the language is violent, bawdy, funny, sexy & beautiful. If they haven't made
a musical version of "A Clockwork Orange" this is a suggestion for the songs for it."When we pucker up our lips are bee stung we still got the taste dancing on our tongues ".
This album was released in late summer 09 & it's still dancing.
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