The Lollies are as jolly as a summer’s day

When you glance at the release schedules all you can see is – compilations and few ‘Pop Idols’. Luckily there is an alternative in indie labels issuing newies to provide us with goodies. The Lollies’ ‘Taste’ is a great example of a fresh, jolly and exuberant album. (The best soda with it should be Mountain Dew!)

The Lollies are a trio of two girls and a boy, two Canucks and a Yank, ex-pats who are based in London. The biog states that bassist/singer Jane Mountain met New York guitarist/singer Kate St. Clare and they discovered love of 60s girl groups (will get back to this) that led to recruiting drummer Matthew Lazowski and forming The Lollies.

Their sonic world is a jangly, punky rock, raw and functionally dilettante-ish that at times recalls feathery approach of Young Marble Giants but can also kick in the best Go-Go’s tradition or The Breeders. (Check out the Ramonesque, ‘Way Too Special’.) That’s why the “60s girl groups” doesn’t sound right, although there are few instances of harmonising á la The Crystals: there were not many female artists in the decade pop mythologized and those who made it were puppets-on-strings of record moguls. It is more logical considering groups of the late 1970s – Sioxsie and the Banshees (in their poppier moments) or The Rezillos; perhaps even the ‘80s, B-52’s for instance.

There is a faux-country feel on ‘Goldrush’ about some hunky cowboy in Oxfordshire (pardon me?) that confirms this a fair ‘ladyfest’ album. Boyfriends figure greatly in the lyrics, ‘Imaginary Boyfriend’, ‘Selfish Boy’, ‘Nearly Flawless, but then – isn’t love the essence of living? (And all sistas know that men are rats and there are so many scores to settle!) There is surf-themed ‘Jonestown Mascara’, a touch of Hawaiian guitar and Farfisa organ somewhere else and waltz on the closing ‘Everybody’s Trash To Somebody Baby’. Variety, baby! Or, two…

And yet, the most delightful aspect of the album is the union of musical simplicity with some very witty lyrics, being almost like ‘observational comedy’ of the Seinfeld-type. From the opening ‘Flavah Of The Month’, about selling your soul for success (or commercials, the same difference), via ‘Office Romance’ (Bridget Jones-like life, with a boss-shag, in 2-plus minutes) and minimally-vocalized ‘Like Wow, Groovy’ to “chase groovy ghosts through haunted houses to”, we are informed.

Bonus track, ‘Happy’, is an example of studio tomfoolery and shows that the band can be very entertaining even when they discard instruments. When girls front bands they really do not observe any rules males so readily obey and thus make albums that are freer, more spirited and delight of sheer candidness.

The band’s had a couple of singles out and songs included on several compilations but ‘Taste’ should establish them as the true… er, taste setters. If you were planning to buy U2 compilation next Monday, divert your money into The Lollies and be happy! Happier! A sandbag!

9/10