Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles “Special Party Time for Everybody” Review

You could forgive a local concert goer for being a little bit overwhelmed with Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles during the past year. Going to see a folk show at the Cedar? Michelle was on the bill. How about a free eclectic festival? Count her in. Seeing your favorite Swedish death metal act? Well, you might not find her on that bill, but they were probably playing at a venue down the street. The last year has been a whirlwind for the band, who started as a group backing a spry ukulele-playing songstress. Literally hundreds of shows later, they rode the success of their excellent debut album Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes to win local arts weekly City Pages’ 2008 Picked to Click award, which recognizes the best new band on the scene. With near over-saturation among local music fans who had seen the songs on her debut album played everywhere but the shower at their gym, the band had quite the task in the making of their sophomore record. Luckily for the band, directed by Michelle’s unique voice and smart arrangements, they succeed again with Special Party Time for Everybody.

While the album sounds like it was named by Borat, the music is as a whip-smart as it was on the band’s debut. The songs range from the poppy, shape shifting keyboard driven “Wayne and Garth” to the breezy, horn accompanied jazz of “At the Same Time.” The production on the disc is light years ahead of Orange Peels and really allows the band’s dense arrangements get some room to breathe, especially on tracks with a lot going on like the gypsy ballad “Balls.” One of the highlights of the disc is “Treetop Lullaby,” a song that I have heard multiple times while seeing the band live. The buoyant energy and musical breakdowns are just as exhilarating and compelling on record as they are live and are one of the best examples of the band’s talent. Listening to the song, I couldn’t help but think that this should have been on the soundtrack for Spike Jonze’s upcoming Where the Wild Things Are. The first Karen O-like track I have heard from the film’s soundtrack sounded like it was trying to be whimsical and brimming with childlike enthusiasm to match the innocent wonder of the book turned movie.

“Treetop Lullaby” keeps listeners in their seats for its entire five minute span as it dances through trepidation and finally releasing in a joyful finale. While the band may show their chops on some of the slower more jazz based tracks, the album is at its most exciting during the more upbeat tracks, including the dizzying “Here and Hell” and woozy charging “Ghost Town.” It seems like Michelle’s trusty ukulele takes a back seat to the keyboard on a good chunk of the record, but when she does bring it out, like on the plaintive “At the Same Time,” it reminds me of what originally brought me to the band in the first place. Michelle’s unique voice mixed with simple but dramatic instrumentation shows a talent that speaks to her popularity.

[group shot by Rich Michell via MySpace]

In addition to taking a step forward with the production value on the disc, the band also has made some great strides forward with their songs. Michelle and gang sound playful but earnest, young but wise and lovelorn but grounded. The music is playful and well thought out and Michelle’s voice, combined with her simplistic but emotive lyrics make for a rousing performance. For those of you out there who had your fill of Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles from their incessant performing behind their debut album, it is safe to come out again. The band has some new songs which are really great to help you fall in love with them all over again.

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Also: Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles “Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes” Review