Graham Reid | | <1 min read
K.K. Tunstall: Glamour Puss
Word is that a campervan trip around
New Zealand in 09 and appearing at Neil Finn's 7 Worlds Collide
reinvigorated Scottish singer Tunstall who leaped to fame overnight
when a Jools Holland show six years ago. Her folksy 06 debut Eye
to the Telescope captured hearts and attention, but Drastic
Fantastic two years ago seemed anxiously over-produced.
Those wanting a return to folksy
singer-songwriter will reel at the first two tracks here, Uummannaq
Song and Glamour Puss, which are driving electro-beat pop.
Glamour Puss could be a killer single, but Push That Knot
Away which follows is the ace: a dark, dramatic piece which
surges relentlessly and leads naturally into the grit-guitar and
synth-pop of Difficulty.
Recorded in Berlin's Hansa studio where
Bowie and U2 recorded Heroes and Achtung Baby
respectively, Tiger Suit has Tunstall taking well-crafted
songs and toughening them up for the dancefloor and radio. Fade
Like a Shadow and Come On Get In are pure pop, but
elsewhere she reverts to other types: Lost is a strong, dreamy
ballad; Golden Frames opens as eerie country blues with
Seasick Steve; Madame Trudeaux is an edgy Dylanesque stomper
with Robyn Hitchcock on slide guitar and gritty sneer in her vocals .
. .
Tunstall sounds like she's enjoying her
re-invention as alt.electro-rocker. Live these must go down with raw
power. Very cool.
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