GRAND DUCHY - LOVESICK
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Artist:
It is generally accepted that The Pixies that were one of the stand out alternative rock groups from the late 80’s and early 90’s. As front man of such an iconic band, Charles Thompson, aka Black Francis, aka Frank Black, has safely secured his place in the annals of rock history.This is fortunate because I can’t help feeling his latest project with his missus Violet Clark, entitled Grand Duchy, is about to set world alight in the same way The Pixies did over two decades ago.
With Violet Clark on vocal duties on two of three tracks offered up on the ‘Lovesick’ EP, to me Grand Duchy’s sound falls somewhere between later Blondie and The Cardigans; somewhat unimaginative and derivative pop rock. The title track ‘Lovesick’ fails to inspire and gives me the distinct impression that I’ve heard this somewhere before. This feeling is compounded by the fact that the acoustic riff in the intro is very similar The Dandy Warhols’ big hit ‘Bohemian Like You.
Things don’t get much better on the second track where Thompson takes over on vocal duties. After a gentle and somewhat understated beginning ‘Vapors’ suddenly explodes into an far eastern influenced electro beat. The dark and brooding lyrics seem somewhat at odds with lively beat to which they are set.
The final track Timbers puts me in mind of Elastica, with a brash guitar riff similar to the one from their big hit ‘Ready To Go’. The steady electro drum beat and distorted vocals do little for me and fail to bring the track alive, allowing to meander through 3 and half minutes of repetitive instrumentation.
I would guess if you are a devotee of all things Charles Thompson aka Black Francis aka Frank Black then you have probably already heard of this latest project and are well into it by now anyway. Those seeking anything to match the heady sounds of the Pixies in their hey day would do better to look elsewhere.
By Adam Tolladay
Rating: 3/10
Format: EP
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Release Date: 23/03/09
www.grandduchymusic.com
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