Friday, December 1, 2023

 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://originalrock.net/2021/01/27/three-new-singles-from-sydneys-amanda-easton-build-to-her-wallflower-album-release-on-10-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

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