The Courettes – The Soul Of… The Fabulous Courettes

For those of you who have listened to The Courettes, then you’ll be aware that their sound and for that matter the lions slice, or more, of the last album ‘Back In Mono’ was an attempt to bring some 60’s rawness back into our lives, the Spector sound but with a modern garage edginess twisted into the fibres of the music. And this worked perfectly, it also gave them a live sound that, quite frankly was, do you remember the fab four live, the screaming girls, well this was the dynamic two with a screaming guitar.

So fast forward to 2024, or is that rewind to 1964, the latest album The Soul Of… The Fabulous Courettes has taken things that step further, the pop and the doo wop take centre stage, the love of Motown and the Da Do Ron Rons are in full force here, having La La Brooks of The Crystals adding backing vocals on two songs (it’s down to you to have fun figuring out which two) is a stroke of luck and genius in equal measures. And to the album itself we go….. Sliding in first is ‘You Woo Me’, an ear worm of a track, the subtle organ that adds the 60’s feel to what is probably the less obvious Motown sounding on the album. ‘California’ drops in like a ray of sunshine next, it’s pure pop from start to finish, although this is obviously a song of regret, it’s still filled from top to bottom with joy.

The first sign of pure Motown to hit your ears on the album, turns out to be one of the two darkest songs on the album, ‘Keep Dancing’ is a song about taking back your own power, the fact that only once someone who held such control over you is dead, that true freedom can be felt. ‘Don’t Want You Back’ says this even more profoundly, the death of Flavia’s father inspired both songs, “I’m glad that you’re gone, forever gone, I don’t want you back” say so much, with so much honesty.  In fact the deeper you get into this album, the more you realise this is an album that feels like an outpouring of everything that needs exorcising. ‘Wall Of Pain’, which is the most Shangri-Las track on here, is a scream in the dark trying to find the light. The banger that’s ‘Better Without You’ is what it says on the tin, alone is better than being with the wrong person. ‘Run Run Runaway’ the song that Spectre could have written through this band, is a healing process in motion.

I think what makes this album something you’ll keep going back to though, is just how, despite its shiny exterior, the truly intricate strings, horns, organs, and infectious melodies, this is an album of substance and soul, with a heart of Rock n Roll.  This is an album that is so much more than just music and lyrics, its fun, its sad, its dark, its sing-a-long, but most of all it’s something that’s been set free.

Out Via Damaged Goods Records September 27th

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