CHARLIE FAYE is a Texan singer/songwriter who’s been making music since 2010. Back then she proffered a distinctive indie pop sound. By the middle of that decade though, she’d discovered the fun, purity and innocence of 60 pop and thus Charlie Faye and they Fayettes were born – a trio determined to bring back the classic girl group sound of the 60s.
For her latest album, Charlie’s Fayettes have morphed into the “Fanimals” . But, the sound on the nine tracker is still a take on 60s pop, though delivered in a simpler more sort of singalong fashion. You see Charlie’s people tell us that the eponymous collection is aimed at kids and families. The move stems from the fact that Ms Faye has her own child now who loves the poppy grooves of 60s music, so mum set out to create some new songs that had that same feel but with lyrics that maybe had more appeal to children and families – a quick glance at some of the track titles on the album will suggest where she’s coming from. So, try ‘7 Days Of Fun’, ‘Cookie Tree’ , ‘Puppy In The Bath’ and ‘Octopus Getting Dressed’ for starters. The there’s ‘Milo Wears A Tutu’. Charlie says: “The thing that’s cool about this project is that it has a throwback sound, but the themes of the songs are very modern. You wouldn’t have a Motown song in the ’60s about a little boy who wears a tutu. But on this album, you do.”
Motown purists would argue that it’s nothing like Motown and in truth it isn’t. It’s Charlie’s take on the sound and that’s what you get throughout the album. Thus ‘Cookie Tree’ is Ms F’s take on reggae, ‘Me And My Family’ is her take on southern/country soul, ‘Get Down’ is a take on rock n roll in the manner of the ‘Grease’ musical and so on! It’s an interesting concept but the album won’t trouble the serious soul brigade unless they run a play group! Out now via Daydream Believer Records!
