Over the years, the husband and wife duo that make up The Courettes have deservedly built a formidable, and “fabulous” reputation for being one of the hardest working touring bands on the circuit, barely taking a break over the last few years to catch their breath as they tour relentlessly around the world. Somehow within this punishing schedule they have managed to fit in the recording of this glorious new record.
The globetrotting dynamic duo have never been backward about wearing their influences on their sleeves, quite literally, with their glamourous monochromatic sense of style matching the remarkable era of music that has played such an important part in influencing their sound and image. Their love of all things vintage extends beyond their vintage fashion sense to the most important element, the use of vintage instruments and amps on stage for that authentic sound. And what about that sound? There has definitely been a distinct progression in the band’s music right across their back catalogue from the raw and exciting garage rock of debut release Here Are The Courettes, the band then building on this on second album We Are the Courettes before moving on to the blueprint for this sparkling new album in the shape of Back in Mono. The Soul of The Fabulous Courettes is probably, no undoubtedly, their most accomplished record to date, one on which they continue to mine the seam of gold they found on it’s predecessor and ramp up on the influences from the likes of the Motown Sound and the Wall of Sound made so famous in the sixties by Phil Spector and an inestimable list of girl groups. In doing so Martin and Flavia have created an album that sends tingles up and down the spine and brings unburdened joy to the soul..
This is the perfect album The Courettes were destined to make.
The irrepressible duo have left no stone unturned in their quest to bring the classic vintage sound kicking and screaming into the 21st Century while keeping a sense of genuine authenticity to their music. Where others may have tried and failed and end up sounding like some sort of sixties pastiche or retro tribute act, The Courettes have indubitably, as the album title suggests, thrown their heart and soul into the recording of this album, an album whose songs are already indelibly etched in my psyche.
It’s not just the sound that they have so perfectly created, when you listen to the stories told within the songs on this album, within the lyrics unfolding in front of you are tales of darkness and tragedy, stories of love, loss and heartache, break-ups… and death, as befits the history from whence they draw their inspiration, from such bands as The Shangri-Las. But forget just drawing influences from the greats, the band went one step further, the icing on the cake being the direct involvement from one of the original stars in the recording of the record, with The Crystals La La Brooks guesting on California and Run Run Runaway.
The album begins in style with the familiar infectious pounding beats and fuzzy guitars that underline The Courettes sound, alongside a series of hypnotic “woo woo’s”, the sound building with an addictive relentless driving rhythm on You Woo Me as Flavia repeats the refrain… and this is just the start of the musical charm offensive that runs through the entirety of the album. The upbeat and energetic single California follows, the first of La La Brook’s appearances on the album, this song has a feeling of celebration packed in its summery sunshine vibes but is perfectly tinged with a sense of regret and melancholy in the lyrics.
The duo’s most recent single has been engineered to perfection once again, the wonderful Keep Dancing sounds like a lost Northern Soul classic, which, if my aging body could manage it, would have me spinning, flipping and dropping around the living room, unlike the provocateur in the song, who choses her exe’s grave on which to shake a leg in a celebratory expression of freedom with no sense of sadness at his passing – “I feel so much better now you’re dead and gone.” Next up is a declaration of intent in the shape of Here I Come. Packed with forceful guitar slides and riffs, and an underlying potently dynamic rhythm which matches the intensity and powerful vocal. “I’m gonna count to 10, here I come.” You have been warned…
There is a theme running through several songs on the album, in the likes of the next song and previous songs like Keep Dancing, “Glad you’re gone” sings Flavia at the end of Don’t Want You Back it’s wonderfully layered verses packed with effective backing vocals leading into the stunningly powerful and chiming one line refrain of the chorus, a definitive statement, while Martin brings the thunder. The pace and mood are more melancholy as the immensely affecting Wall of Pain closes out side 1, the song taking it’s inspiration from Motown, with a guitar line that brings to mind The Four Tops I Can’t Help Myself.
Flip over onto Side 2, if you are listening on vinyl, and the second half of the album bursts into life with their single Shake!, a maelstrom of boundless energy as drums, organ, guitar and vocals meld together in one fuzz laden bundle of freaky joy that will have you shaking your ass like Austin Powers in retro sixties style. Dance like no-one’s watching…
Do you remember R.I.N.G.O.? Well he’s been kicked to the kerb, left to be pursued by Bonnie Jo Mason, after all she loves him. The girl at the heart of the story in the tropical calypso-like rhythms of Boom Boom Boom has a thing about drummers though.., declaring that, in this battle of The Beatles vs The Stones, Charlie is her darlin’ and has always been the one…
Just time to take a breath before Better Without You bursts into life, one of many post break up songs on the record, this one is a boisterous statement of intent, a proclamation from the protagonist in the tale that she is a woman not to be messed with. This raucous number with its thunderous pounding beat provided by Martin on the skins, replete with cowbell break and a ferocious Flavia primal scream ends with an energetic flourish as the tambourine crashes to the floor. Thankfully the tambourine is retrieved in time for La La Brooks to make her second appearance on the album in Run Run Runaway, another Motown influenced song which ticks all the boxes, heartfelt lyrics, empathetic arrangement, emotional “talkie” section…another song to tug at the heartstrings.
We’re back to deceit and disdain again soundtracked by a majestic sweeping melody, the narrator of the song having heard the Lies one time too many, “now I’ve had enough, time to leave it, time to beat it…” Stop! Doing That continues in a similar vein, “stop doing that, you’re gonna get smacked” sings Flavia, the song is crammed to bursting with a bit of everything but the kitchen sink, brass, tambourines, castanets and handclaps all coming together in one huge mellifluous melange.
With all the boisterousness, heartache and break up themes across the 13 songs on the album, it ends perfectly in gloriously contemplative style with Flavia and Martin coming together for the vocals on the tambourine infused dreamy ballad of For Your Love. Beautiful.
Having been the purveyors of my most memorable gig of 2023 in none other than Barlinnie Prison, before slaying Nice ‘n’ Sleazy later that evening, it is undoubtedly with great anticipation that I await the bands return to these shores in October, with gigs in The Caves in Edinburgh on the 1st, then the following night in Glasgow’s Room 2, to witness the recreation of these incredible new songs in a live setting.