Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke

YOURZ

Oh, guess who loves the 80s.  Ladyhawke does, that's who.  But rather than copy the sounds, Pip Brown (her real name) has remodelled the sounds and updated them to create a hybrid blend that works well.

While this album has been in our collection for some time, I dismissed its presence as more girly dance music, the sort Mine loves.  But the reality is far from my rather blinkered point of view.  This album has some great new wave rock moments reminding me of some of Kim Wilde or Pat Benatar, which, in case you're wondering, is a good thing.  (There's also a little bit of Billy Idol as well - just listen to the track Danny & Jenny).

Oh, there are some more obvious influences for sure, but these are more in passing rather than as templates for the whole album.  In fact, Ladyhawke has more depth and substance than many similar artists who have adopted the same stylistic references.  As a début, it's certainly allowing Pip to spread her wings and leave room to fly in any direction she chooses.  And I can't wait to see where she lands.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE:

One of the albums I bought for myself purely with my Music Magazine Mojo (MMM), this New Zealand singer's debt to the 70s and 80s is obvious from the second you begin listening.  Artists that coursed through my mind as the tracks ticked by include 10CC, Gary Numan, the Cars and Blondie.  And there have been times in the past that I've dissed modern bands for re-creating the sounds of previous eras.  I mean, if I want to listen to that sound, I'll play those albums, right?

But there's a moment in this CD - I think it's the hit single My Delirium - that made me just smile and say, what the hell.  When reinventing Sounds Past to make Sounds of Now really works.  Funny, I listened to this a lot when I first bought it but I've been ignoring it recently.  This Stops Now.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com/