Late Slip
I Love You (Party Mermaid Records)
LP
It's not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last, but Late Slip play a little prank, intentional or otherwise, with their debut full length album I Love You. It's an LP and it's not marked "45rpm" anywhere that we can see, yet it does play at 45rpm. So we had it on the wrong speed and were confused for a few minutes. One we made the adjustment, however, this album is superb.
The sleeve gives away the retro vibe. It has the look of the sort of pop album that fell out of the '60s and '70s with regularity. But don't think this is a generic nostalgia-fest.
Late Slip, and singer Chelsea Nenni, cherrypick elements from the past and bring them into the present without sacrificing one little bit of integrity.
"Lewis Pesacov’s transportive production delivers a nostalgic soundscape with a little bit of twang, a little bit of surf, and a whole lotta heart," reads the press release. "Nenni’s sun-soaked, tear-stained gems tap into the tenderness we tend to lock away. I Love You offers the invitation to cozy up close, let your feelings flow, and dance it all away."
The strength is in the songs. The title track and "Mind Your Business" betray a gift for converting emotion into lyrics, while the cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" is a blast.
Eliza Neals and the Narcotics
Eliza Neals and the Narcotics (E-H Records)
180 Gram LP
Detroit chanteuse Eliza Neals was the subject of our DIY Spotlight last month, when she described her sound as, “Stevie Nicks-meets-John Lee Hooker, who serves a hard drink to Mick Jagger as Aretha Franklin from the Blues Brothers is cursing you out of the kitchen.”
That's fair, and she sent us this record to prove it! Neals has a blues voice that many, many more people should be aware of. In the Motor City, she's well known to local music scene regulars and festival-goers. But the songs here prove that she should be heard and admired far and wide.
"Jekyll and a Hound" is a sultry, fiery beast of a song that kicks the record off with hard intent and it never lets up.
Some of Detroit's best musicians pop up on here, including Luis Resto (who co-produced "Lose Yourself" for Eminem), Barrett Strong Jr., Dave Feeny, Kenny Olson, Paul Randolph and many more.
But Neals, both vocally and with her keys, soars thanks to equal parts passion and talent. Her soul bursts out of a song like "Breaking and Entering," as she shows both strength and vulnerability. It's a truly beautiful album.
