Accessible, Swinging Indie
After what can only be described as a massive kiss of death, Pop Levi is bouncing back from being tipped by Lauren Laverne four years ago. Since then, he's kept himself busy by making more obscure films than most people would admit to, and having a nice line in accessible indie.
"Motorcycle 666" is like a male-fronted version of the Gossip, all driving guitars, insistent bass and rhyming couplets while the drums keep time. It's indie disco fodder and should live long enough in the memory of drunken revellers to go and download the morning after. It's a bit pointlessly long, while the lead guitar veers off formation, a deep male voice repeats 'six-six-six' for over a minute- not too sure why, but then, I'm no "artiste."
The other song that is offered is 'Rock Solid'. Obvious innuendo aside, this is quite a neat package, there's better use of a second vocalist than 'Motorcycle' and although he seems to Sid James his way to the end until the gear change and fade with 20 seconds to go, as a pair of tracks, Pop Levi might be onto something. It's a distinct brand of swinging indie.
'Motorcycle 666' gets a remix (by the Devil's Own, apparently) but there's very little difference and doesn't really add anything to his work. Seriously, why are people commissioning remixes when there's very little changed? Why does it need a remix when the song is quite danceable anyway? Devil's Own don't turn this into a 'banging house choon' so if you're going to do nothing drastic, why bother?
Pointless mixes aside, this might be the breakthrough Pop Levi has been looking for. I wonder if he'll thank the former Kenickie member in his liner notes.