Rehashed genres are a commonplace phenomenon in the music and entertainment industry. What once worked would surely again. After all, retro is all about taking that successful format and putting a new spin on it – it begs to be done. The question is, when condensed into a formula, does art cease to be art and become science? Which, no argument, is essential to us evolving humans, and, true, can fascinate and ignite imaginations; and yet, science does not function as an expression of the more guttural and primal urges, which are not adequately expressible by socially acceptable means. Formulas, it seems, can not set your heart and loins a-quiver.
So when encountering in a single night two prime examples of the most blatantly calculated use of over-masticated tried-and-tested styles, thrown together into a bowl of been-there, heard-that, one naturally loses interest fairly quickly.
A promising venue is the Wilmington Arms, with the charm and character of the famed Water Rats, and the arty pretensions of a downtown dive-bar. And guaranteed, when your ears prick up to a surprisingly respectable cover of Tom Waits’ Heart Attack and Vine on the PA, even the toughest of hearts would melt and succumb to the agreeable vibe. All this, and excellent room acoustics to boot.
The opening act, DOUBLE RAINBOW, engage in a safe and mindless four-guitar power-rawk, albeit highly listenable and beautifully executed. Even the clichéd “take it easy baby” type-lyrics, which should normally never be used, unless you are in fact Tom Petty, don’t serve to spoil the fun. All in all, a sweeping and charismatic performance from these little known newcomers.
The surge of burlesque and cabaret-influenced female acts has certainly been apparent on the circuit, with the Puppini Sisters, Paris Motel and The Pierces to name but a few who have burst onto the scene with their Alt Country and Retro Femme Noir rock, complete with 50s hairstyles and many granny wardrobes falling victim to intense looting.
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GEMMA RAY falls in the same vein – the ultra feminine dress style, bluegrass-touched harmonies, and soft folky melodies. A few top-notch musicians form the backbone of the band and provide excellent support to the dark and deep vocals. All well and good so far, but here it also ends – all that is left are those selfsame Death Ballads sung by the likes of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, only the dark streak is a mere pale turquoise, and the only iconic semblance is to the film A Mighty Wind, not neglecting the obligatory autoharp, any female folkist’s weapon of devastation.
The backing vocals are provided by two singers - using that term loosely, who bring forth speculation as to priorities of style over substance in this particular band. On her new album, The Leader - the first in years since her previous musical endeavour as The Gemma Ray Ritual - Gemma’s backing vocalist is Mary Epworth, an accomplished musician and lead vocalist in her own right; it is unclear why she has not joined Gemma on stage, as the union would no doubt have produced a better result.
She begins with On Your own, from the newly released album, paving the way for oversized and underwhelming numbers, Hard Shoulder, Rise of the Runts, which was released with Bronzerat as a single in October and Dry River. The genres come thick and fast, smeared with Sexploitation and faux religious-fervor overtones, and whilst covering all angles, they really only scratch the surface of each genre, with no real exploration nor depth. Despite the big front and big sound, the result is an unmoving effort. The perfect formula falls flat.
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