Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

• 17th Aug 2008

With slicked back hair, vintage clothes flair and music of another era Kitty, Daisy & Lewis look and sound the 50s. The rockabilly Durham family band of North London are obsessively injecting their passion and exuberence in to classic swing and rock ‘n’ roll numbers and writing songs to sit right up among them. What makes ‘Kitty, Daisy & Lewis’ an even more remarkable triumph is the youth of it’s recorders.

The band are at their best when Kitty leads vocals. Her stuffed up, growling and full of range jazz sound comes from a girl just fifteen. Her age only helps to add vitality and sweetness to the upbeat records, of which there are many.

The cello and guitar are almost ever present with the three siblings’ parents giving the band a strong base from where the highly talented multi intrumentalists can jump between the beautiful harmonies and driving percussion on the twist inducing ‘Going Up Country’ to the Lewis – seventeen – written and sung ‘Buggin’ Blues’ where the piano and driving drumming keep you swinging. The lap steel guitar and harmonica come out to play on ‘Polly Put The Kettle On’ and ‘Honolulu Rock-A Roll-A’ and they haven’t played through track four. Their talent is endless as highlight’s of the long-player – recorded in glorious digital free analogue for general and rare 78s release – bound from the wireless. ‘Mean Son Of A Gun’ and ‘Ooo Wee’ are infectiously simple southern country rock making you want to do nothing but “clap your hands and stamp your feet”.

Having watched Kitty, Daisy & Lewis start a huge party dancing at Secret Garden Party in 2007 and buck the buzz of the industry at SXSW 2008 they are more talented and in love with music in their teens than the multitude of bands hanging around the new century. When they release an album of original songs it will become an instant classic.