Tuesday 2 June 2009

Album Review: Doll and the Kicks

Where did Morrissey dig up unsigned band Doll and the Kicks from? I'd love to know. Perhaps he got a fax about them. Normally I trust his taste about as much as I trust his originally scheduled gig dates, so we weren't exactly looking forward to them at the (looking back on it, extremely flukey) Yarmouth gig a couple of weeks back.
But I was happily surprised. As the only Morrissey support band I have EVER enjoyed (even if it was once rather than the three times it should have been) I bought the Doll and the Kicks album. Really enjoyed their energy live and the lead singer (whom I suspect wasn't christened 'Doll') has a big old voice on her. She's a tiny little thing, and you don't really expect it out of her. Her voice is a bit Karen O-ish. The rest of the band looked very cool, too, and showed a very funny sense of humour with that golliwog pic in Yarmouth (why WAS Yarmouth awash with golliwogs?! Get Carol Thatcher down there, quick smart.)
The album is really catchy, total indie pop. I'd say potential singles were probably 'He's a Believer' or 'You Turn Up' but I like the more emotional 'If you Care.' and 'Cry in the Kitchen.' I guess it's a bit samey in parts, but I think it's pretty enjoyable. Easier on the ear than Kristeen Young, easier on the eye than any Moz support band you could mention. I always enjoy getting into bands with decent frontwomen, too.
(JOTV, I think you'd like these, they have handclaps on the last song, too!)

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