Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - '50s Revival (Sunday Best)

Lisa Norman | Sunday, 31 August 2008

NME described them as "the sound of yesteryear, but also a band for the future". While the majority of musical rehashes are dull, these 'cool cats' have to be the exception.

Siblings Kitty, Daisy and Lewis have built a fully functional studio based on Sun studio in Memphis. Pumping out an album full of swing, country, blues, Hawaiian sounds and rock ‘n’ roll, the trio bring the sounds of the '50s into the present day.

''50s Revival' is something truly different from what the band's contemporaries are producing, an unusual occurrence on the music scene today. Using the hillbilly vibes of the harmonica, their music has a 'way out West' feel to it. This offering is mostly comprised of cover songs, but each track is mixed in with a number of self-penned beats for an authentic '50s sound.

A notable highlight is opening track 'Goin' Up the Country', a recreation of Canned Heat's hit track. It's funky, it's cool and the beat is fantastic. 'Buggin' Blues' channels today's teen anxieties: ''Now I reconsidered darling/I want you by my side/I don't care how I get you baby/I'll get you dead or alive..." The song has a fantastic American diner vibe.

Meanwhile, 'Polly Put the Kettle On' just makes you want to dance with its fantastic vocals and funky sound, while the cool ukelele beats of closing tune 'Swinging Hawaii' make you want to grab your grass skirt and do the limbo.

The trio have a youthful vocal sound, but this takes nothing away from their style and rhythm. While they are copying the style of bygone days, their work still stands as something unique in the market. While this kind of gimmick has been tried before, this time round it makes you want to listen to Elvis and Sonny Boy Williamson, and that can't be a bad thing.

It's hard to explain exactly why this works, but if you believe that good music still exists, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis are probably the band for you.

Rating: 4/5