If an after hours swagger into the darker recesses of the city encompasses an encounter with someone called Lou Reid you’d be forgiven for first checking you’ve not tripped the light fantastic along substance abuse heaven or hell. Pulse being within the bounds of disappointing normality and the rabbit hole being safely body-swerved, it would be impolite not ask the thus monikered individual what they do for a living. And lo, it has come to pass; the self-same leader of Lola in Slacks, Ms Reid, is indeed a singer of murky torch songs for the dispossessed and disenfranchised.
With some sultry gigs around their home town of Glasgow under their belt, right here is the debut release from the Slackers. And quite excellent it is too.
No, it isn’t startlingly original – the ill-advised grindcore years may be some way off yet – but it is blindingly effective in a Marianne Faithful with grit kinda way. It’s mellifluously smooth but quite menacing at the same time; a moody statement of intent.
Bluesy New York twangs and piano in an insistently lilting style sit behind the elegantly fag-burned vocal. Smoky and silky all at once. It begs to be heard in a dark basement after one drink too many… or too few, but with a long night ahead.
Whilst not necessarily being the newest of the new, it is seductively infectious, indeed, irresistible in the extreme. Catch them lurking about in an alleyway near you soon. Whatever they offer, say yes.
Lola In Slacks’ new single ‘Tramlines’ is released for download 31st August on Stereogram Recordings.
