Garage Glamour (Pravda Records) is the seventh album from Chicago’s The Claudettes. Led by pianist Johnny Iguana, the band has existed with an ever-changing lineup since 2010. Garage Glamour is the first of the band’s releases to feature lead singer Rachel Williams. Williams and Iguana are joined here by Michael Caskey (drums) and Zach Verdoorn (bass, guitar).
The music on Garage Glamour borrows from Blues, Soul, Funk and Cabaret to create a sound that belongs solely to The Claudettes. The band’s sound is full, expansive and warm. The rhythms are infectiously groovy, with hand percussion often adding an extra layer on top of the weighty drum parts. The chord sequences (usually articulated primarily by the piano) owe a lot to classic Soul, but they also make use of chromaticism in a way that lends some of the tracks a slightly avant-garde feel. Whilst this isn’t really a Rock album, the arrangements and performances are intense and hard-hitting.
The way the songs are expressed is often a little gaudy and hammy, which adds a Cabaret feel to much of the record. This showy element can at times make the songs’ execution feel a little too melodramatic and kitsch, although it is undeniably an important factor in making The Claudettes unique.
At the centre of all of the songs is Williams’ voice. Powerfully dynamic and rich with emotion, her vocal lines soar above the rolling grooves with precision and ease. She glides through verses, choruses, and hooks, navigating changes of key and dynamics with elegance and aplomb.
The songs here are relatively short, with 10 tracks filling only 33 minutes. Within each song and across the whole album, it feels as though The Claudettes have dispensed with anything extraneous so that only the most potent ingredients are left. Indeed, whilst each song has its own distinct identity, the quality is consistently high.
That said, there are still a few notable highlights which exemplify The Claudettes’ capabilities. The chorus of “Winter Came While You Were Gone” is a piece of instant-classic Blues-Soul songwriting. The cover of Wanda Jackson’s “Whirlpool” is delightfully dark and menacing. The main hook of “Mr. Pecker’s Apoplexy” showcases the band at their most histrionic and explosive. The sluggish stomp of “No Matter How Much” is exquisitely gloomy and furious, and the chorus hook is deliciously catchy. “Don’t Give It Up to the Thieves” is an exhilaratingly ferocious fusion of Hip-Hop, Punk and Soul, and is perhaps the most effective synthesis of styles on the album.
Garage Glamour is a record that has a timeless quality. The songwriting has a classic feel and the performances are exemplary. Whilst the flamboyant and theatrical delivery won’t be for everyone, Garage Glamour cements The Claudettes’ status as masters of dramatic and soulful songcraft.
Buy the album here:
https://theclaudettes.bandcamp.com/album/garage-glamour
7 / 10
DUNCAN EVANS
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