Amanda Easton “Drama and DooWops” EP on Wild Cat Records released 17 November 2023
On the vanguard of her music for twenty years, when Amanda asked me to review
her latest EP “Drama
and DooWops”, I couldn’t refuse. From “Skin”
and “Blue”
through “Postcards”
and “Wallflower”,
Amanda
is a musical chameleon akin to David
Bowie and Frank Zappa,
leaving punters to wonder what next to expect from this inner-city goddess of
song.
Funnily enough, old Frank
had a thing for Doo Wop as well but can
that be where the comparison ends? Even Dave
has had a nod with her “The
Man Who Fell To Earth” on Polaroids
and Postcards four years ago. But that was then and this is now, and
one pundit even ventured to suggest that “DooWops”
is Amanda’s best
release to date.
“DooWops”,
and the cover art, suggest an alt-Stepford
theme: how many Stepford wives did their
housework in a vinyl cat-suit? The imagery of the album and song titles conjurs
June Cleaver, Joanna Eberhart, or even Betty Parker with their uppers, downers
(cold coffee) soaps (Dog-eared Dramas), errands, dinner parties (Sky
Blue Ballgown; Floral Dress), and shattered (?) dreams (another Pleasantville tilt). The 1950s may have
looked pleasant enough, with its various soundtracks from doo-wop, rock &
roll, Perry Como, Pat Boone, Johnny O’Keeffe, and Ed Sullivan/Brian Henderson if you go by
the media from the time and boomer pre-Camelot
memories, but there was an underbelly few knew, or refused to know, about.
My reviews are usually based on first impressions and for
whatever reason I tried, for this record, to listen through a few times. But
try as I might, it was love at first spin!! The humour, the authenticity, That Dick Dale/James Bond-sound created by Simon Morel’s guitar
virtuosity, Amanda’s
multi-tracked vocals that I thought were her Chrissy
Hinde/McVie
live-appearance chorus; legit doo-wops
complete with a bass-singer (Michael
Carpenter doing his best “Pee Wee” Wilson impersonation)
coupled with the mandatory sax sound of the era/genre, that Mo-town 4-beat drum
pattern, teen love (again with Beaver and
Pleasantville), a truly amazing
vocal range, a theremin, the … je ne sais quoi! This
record has it all!
Amanda,
you’ve done it again! As though there would ever be any doubt! ©©©©©
See also:
https://originalrock.net/2021/02/07/amanda-easton-wallflower-album-released-20-february-2021/
https://www.geocities.ws/p_terg/pop_n_other/amanda1.html
https://www.geocities.ws/p_terg/pop_n_other/amanda2.html
https://www.geocities.ws/p_terg/pop_n_other/amanda3.html
https://peterg-gleeson.blogspot.com/2019/12/polaroids-and-postcards-interview-with.html
https://peterg-gleeson.blogspot.com/2019/12/amanda-easton-polaroids-postcards.html
https://peterg-gleeson.blogspot.com/2016/03/amanda-easton-disco-disconnected.html
https://peterg-gleeson.blogspot.com/2013/03/amanda-easton-out-of-blue-ep.html
