Read all about it. Sharp-suited retro crooner from the states comes to rip up the seats in your dancehalls. New album. New tour.
If faithfully reproducing the classic sound of sixties Motown is a prerequisite
for brilliance, then this exuberant little soulster must be the embodiment of
genius. If however, it indicates no greater skill than hiring a savvy engineer
and copping hold of a stack of old vinyl then its little more than a charming
and inspired novelty. But what the hell, it still sounds pretty damned good.
The likes of Amy Winehouse have revived the smoky old jazz café culture of
Billie Holiday successfully enough, now it’s the turn the bad ass, energetic
and handsomely quaffed Eli Paperboy Reed to rip up the seats of dancehalls
everywhere with his suave and cocky brand of souped-up Northern Soul.
The yank’s new album, ‘Come and Get It’ will be released through
Parlophone Records on May 10th. As a taster of the album, the
closing track ‘Explosion’ is available to download for free from Eli’s website.
Shockingly reminiscent of artists like Sam Cooke, James Brown and Jackie Wilson,
songs like ‘Name Calling’ are as chirpy and well coordinated as an entire generation
of Jackson brothers, as bouncy as a bagful of brass stabs and as uplifting as
a rocket.
A bit like a young Rick Astley squeezed into a pair of Terence Trent D'Arby's
tight leather trousers.
UK Dates in May:
10 May 2010 Scala King’s Cross, London
12 May 2010 Academy 3 Manchester
13 May 2010 Great Escape Festival Brighton
14 May 2010 Academy 2 Birmingham
15 May 2010 Oran Mor Glasgow
17 May 2010 The Bongo Club Edinburgh
18 May 2010 Speakeasy Bar Belfast, Academy Dublin 1
