Ettes
(Fond Object/Krian/Fontana)
Following the career of the Ettes has always been a pure pleasure - the Nashville trio has consistently moved from strength to strength, with each LP being better than the last. Wicked Will doesn't feel like the quantum leap between Look at Life Again Soon and the frankly amazing Do You Want Power, but that doesn't mean it's a weak record. Far from it, in fact - the album teems with strong songs and performances.
Leader Coco sounds as assured handling buzzing pop tunes like "Trouble With You" and "My Heart" as she does snarling pounders like "You Never Say" and "Excuse." The threesome indulges in a little folk rock ("Teeth"), a spot of Spaghetti western acid balladry ("The Worst There Is"), a throbbing tribal groove ("One By One") and some savory psychedelia ("You Were There"). This isn't dilettantism - the band has such a firm grasp on its craft that not only does it handle every stylistic variation with aplomb, but it imprints its own distinctive, tuneful personality on every track.
Moving back to the quick-and-dirty presentation of their early work (a by-product of Coco's busbabe's holiday in the Parting Gifts with the Reigning Sound's Greg Cartwright, perhaps; the album also finds them reunited with British producer Liam Watson) the Ettes keep Wicked Will simple and memorable, no matter which of their musical facets they choose to flash.
DOWNLOAD: "My Heart," "One By One," "The Worst There Is" MICHAEL TOLAND
Ed. Note: Wicked Will is also being issued on vinyl by the recently reactivated Sympathy For The Record Industry label, which released the group's 2005 debut Shake The Dust. Read the recent BLURT interview with the band here.
