2016 –
By Phillip Smith; May 21, 2016
It’s about time someone took
the bull by the horns to brush the dust off the classic girl group sound so embraced
and adored in the Sixties. Bringing that
luscious sound to life again is Austin singer/songwriter Charlie Faye, who masterfully captures that carefree sound with eleven
brand new original tracks. Her backup
singers, the Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley both have established and
well-respected solo careers outside this charming trio.
Charlie Faye and the Fayettes start their debut album off with “Green Light”, a soulful
and poppy feel-good treat about blossoming relationships. “Sweet Little Messages”
walks the path between Motown and Memphis, dishing out beautiful harmonies
peppered with Steve Cropper-like
guitar licks. There’s also a huge Stax sound on “Eastside” a lively
dance-inducing track which draws attention to neighborhood gentrification. This groovy track is definitely my favorite.
I love the combined sound of spaghetti-western
surf guitar topped with the trippy psychedelic synth present on “Loving Names”. It’s so hard to believe this is all brand new
music. When Faye sings “Coming Round the Bend” with her swirling and sugary sweet
vocals, it sounds so good. The song
makes me feel nostalgic for the Phil
Spector-produced Ronettes.
It’s refreshing to hear a
brand new take on a sound that’s been out of the spotlight for nearly forty
years. I would definitely like to see music
of this style make a comeback. It has
been put away for far too long.
