Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

Album review

The North London family band Kitty, Daisy & Lewis will fill hearts of older listeners with hope and introduce their younger fans to the early American rock music that is the foundation for all of today's disposable pop. Their father Graeme is a music fanatic and introduced the trio to the sounds of Louis Jordan, Johnny Horton, Wynonie Harris, and Ray Charles, and the kids took it from there. They hunted down vintage instruments and recording equipment and recorded their self-titled album in the studio Lewis built in his bedroom. Most of the tunes on this 13-track expanded American edition of their British debut are covers, but the four originals, three by Lewis and two composed by all the siblings with their father, stand up to the eclectic collection of covers. The originals are "Buggin' Blues" with Daisy turning in a, pardon the cliché, blue, sassy vocal that belies her years and Lewis tickling the ivories like a maniac, "Baby Hold Me Back," a jump blues with gypsy rhythm guitar, subtle trumpet noodling a glockenspiel (?) ,and a driving primitive drumbeat, "Say You'll Be Mine," a Chicago-meets-London-blues groove with Lewis on lead vocals, and two instrumentals -- "Ride" a rockabilly romp featuring dad Graeme on guitar, and "Swinging Hawaii," a rockabilly-meets-Hawaiian thing with some tasty lapsteel and banjo from Lewis. They're all first-rate, if a bit rough, but on the covers they really take off. Daisy's gruff vocal on "Goin' Up the Country" rides a bouncy groove from the rest of the family that has energy to spare, then she delivers "I Got My Mojo Working" with plenty of attitude and Lewis laying down some clanking lead guitar. "Mean Son of a Gun," an old Johnny Horton hit, swings like crazy, driven by Lewis' guitar and Daisy's wild vocal. Charlie Rich's "Mohair Sam" is primitive R&B with Daisy playing off her vocals against Lewis' chattering guitar. The recording quality is pure analogue and a bit ragged, but it only adds to the album's authentic charm.

© j. poet /TiVo