Lola in Slacks have it: whatever it is they are in its possession; that indefinable thing called star power.
Who knows, you may be so blessed; if so congrats and please do cherish it – you shall go far, my friend.
This evening is a soi-disant soiree in support of the August 31 release of the excellent debut single ‘Tramlines’ on Stereogram Records.
Charisma flows out of the entire sextet tonight especially the, previously relatively unnoticed, drummer Lesley McLaren, displaying dexterous pitter patter rhythm as well as a fine old thwack when required: it may be an intimately low key event, but the curious and mellifluous shimmer seems to be being shared out beyond the noted lead singer.
Fronted by Lou Reid, Lola display influences from the Velvet Underground to Bowie to Piaf to Marianne Faithful: chuck in a bit of Marlene Dietrich and it’s positively dripping with archness; no surprise when a Roxy Music cover creeps into proceedings.
This isn’t to sell the band short as a simple amalgamation of touchstones however: references are easy to define, but the unusual ability to transcend these presences lurking stage left is deft, to say the least.
Moody grooves like ‘Souvenir de Tois’ and ‘Little Vandal’ just work really; far more successfully in fact than more lively closing numbers intended to make us dance (I was happy with the free badges handed out by then to be honest).
A group operating with frighteningly accurate, but always relaxed precision they’re an amiable bunch: the room-filling vocals of Ms Reid and some lapel decoration; always gonna be a winner.
Short but sweet there’s new material and old (if we can describe it as such for a coltish new concern) and does nothing but wet the appetite for a proposed first album in 2016.
Best new band featuring guitars in Glasgow right now?
You bet.
Very very much ones to watch: plus I ended up in the wrong toilets again, which seems a habit of mine at this venue for some reason.
A fitting little bending of genders after a bending of slinky genres from onstage.
Check them.
Words: Vosne LePro
