Low Cut Connie - Hi Honey

Led by two songwriters (the piano thumping Adam Weiner and the drummer-turned-guitarist Dan Finnemore), Low Cut Connie are an unconventional outfit who give the impression of having progressed accidentally from being the "entertainment" in the corner of a pub to a full time albums act without changing their basic modus operandi in between. Their third album 'Hi Honey' veers from fist-pumping rock and roll through punk, garage blues, boogie-woogie, R&B and gospel while barely pausing for breath. Several of the songs were cut live in the studio, while in the background a live audience whoops and hollers. The tempo never lets up, as each song is another party soundtrack – no lighter waving moments here. Having met by chance despite living on different sides of the Atlantic, both Weiner and Finnemore had their own acts, and initially started playing together on a strictly "just for fun" basis. As is so often the case when the pressure is off, this sideline quickly proved more successful than either of their "real" acts (though they still divide their time between New York and Birmingham). Indeed, their profile expanded massively this year when, without warning, they were listed on President Obama's Summer Playlist (Obama's recommendation not the kiss-of-death that a British politician's endorsement inevitably proves to be.). If that brings the misfortune of being championed by people who describe recently released albums as having "dropped", it also means a lot more people at their shows. The song Obama chose ('Boozeophilia') actually came from their second album, but anyone hooked in by that won't be disappointed by the songs on 'Hi Honey'. They are immaculately schooled in every bar-room rock cliché – dramatic pauses, background wails and raucous solos exactly where you'd expect them. As other reviewers have observed, its more like listening through a stack of 7” singles back-to-back than a conventionally-paced album. But the constant genre-hopping keeps 'Hi Honey' honest. It feels natural and uncontrived. After all, it takes real commitment to be a boogie band. There are, after all, a lot of people whose heart is in rock and roll but end up performing sensitive acoustic ballads in folk clubs solely to avoid carrying amps. Low Cut Connie have to lug a 400-pound piano in and out of the venue every night. A lower-back injury waiting to happen – but also a pretty straightforward demonstration of their dedication. A good test of how seriously a band takes things is to check that they don't front-load their albums with their catchiest songs. Sure enough, 'Hi Honey' passes comfortably. Indeed, it doesn't really peak until the last song, 'Both My Knees', where Weiner's rock-n-roll chops and Finnemore's post-hardcore roots combine with brass and gospel backing vocals to bring the record to an emphatic close.

Track Listing:-

1 Who the Hell is Tina?
2 Shake it Little Tina
3 Diane (Don't Point That Thing at Me)
4 Back in School
5 Me N Annie
6 Taste So Good
7 Dickie's Bringin Me Down
8 Danny's Outta Money
9 Little Queen of New Orleans
10 Dumb Boy
11 The Royal Screw
12 Somewhere Along the Avenue
13 Both My Knees