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Puppini Sisters - Betcha
Bottom Dollar (Universal)
Released: August 15, 2006 (UK)
Released: May 1, 2007 (US)
The best comedians always play it straight. And so it is with camp -
with no detectable wink, the Puppini Sisters proceed to channel the
Andrews Sisters, assuming the Andrews sisters could do not only their own
repertoire, but also Blondie, or Gloria Gaynor, or Kate Bush.
All the touchstones are there - including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," and
the Rosemary Clooney/Vera Ellen classic, "Sisters."
But "Heart of Glass?" Or "I Will Survive?"
Only one - Marcella - is really a Puppini. The others are Kate Mullins and
Stephanie O'Brien. They met at London's Trinity College, became
classically trained, and the re-arranging of the tunes began. They tell
Manchester's "Guardian" newspaper they prefer a comparison to New Orleans'
Boswell Sisters ("Darker," they say) over one to the Andrews Sisters.
And judging from their websites, they stay busy with live performances.
Speaking of the website, it's worth a look - with everything from recipes
to advice for the lovelorn.
From "Sisters" and "Mr. Sandman" at the top of the disc, the sisters nail
the harmonies - and once they've convinced you that they know what they're
doing, they move on to Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and "I will
Survive." Not all of the covers of new tunes work - "Wuthering Heights"
had me looking for "next" on the CD changer remote; but don't panic. Just
because you've never heard these songs like this before doesn't mean
they're not listening to. Who knew "Heart of Glass" could sound so jaunty?
Why Anthony Cherry and the gang haven't snapped this one up for Mr.
Parkinson's Radio 2 program is beyond me.
Highly recommended.
 Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(10/22/06) |
