IT COULD all be very twee, a light hearted look at love'n'life'n'boys by New York twentysomethings Kay Kasparhauser (vocals/ukulele ), Lulu Prat (bass ), and actor/musician Rachel Trachtenburg (drums ), all very kooky, quirky, and indie.
There is plenty of delightful kookiness in the music of The Prettiots, but scratch the surface of the pair's debut album, Funs Cool, and what comes across is not tweeness, but real pop smarts; an impressive melodic sense; delightful vocal harmonies, a way with catchy choruses, a mischevious sense of humour, and a determination to keep these pop sensibilities wedded to an indie tradition with roots in anti-folk and the lo-fi nineties scene.
Pick of the bunch is arguably 'The Boys (That I Dated In Highschool )', an insanely catchy song where Kasparhauser owns up to to excruciatingly embarrassing romantic disasters, with a touch of self-deprecating humour: "I told him I was 20/I was 16, so that's sketchy"; "I gave you my virginity/I was 17...or 23!"
Other highlights include ode to Law & Order character Elliot Stabler, built mostly around a street chant-like vocal, backed by handclaps and percussion; 'Kiss Me Kinski' re-imagines the collaborations between Wener Herzog and Klaus Kinski as a metaphor for a new romance ("The way I'm acting makes Aguirre seem sane" ). 'Dreamboy' and 'Suicide Hotline' maintain the levels for infectious, joyous, pop hooks, and some great vocal harmonies.
Indeed the only real stinker is '10-10 Would Chill Again' which sounds like dialogue out-takes from the most awful American comedies the end up repeated ad infinitum on E4. Otherwise Funs Cool is a delight, and shows potential for future development.
The Prettiots play the Róisín Dubh on Friday February 19 at 9pm. Admission is free.
