BLUE HONEY
(Counter Records, 2006)

Remember those heady days when psychedelic feel-good strumming was 10 to a euro-cent? Well, whenever you think that was (answers on a S.A.E) they have arrived once more, and just in time for the summer whereby you can relive whatever images my description conjures up. Pop Levi’s EP ‘Blue Honey’ has made PIMP followers feel, well, rather nice as the Liverpudlian ice-cream man, and no that’s not a witty euphemism, he actually was one of those slightly scary sellers of frozen treats, has produced a series of sun-drenched sounds perfect for lounging in the sun.

With London mega-label Ninja Tune offering their services to the fop-haired Scouser, the 5-track swagger gives a little preview into the much acclaimed forthcoming album that we’re not to meant to know about but with every PIMP’d finger and toe in pies across the land, your faithful servant is here to provide.

The sound is one of the west coast USA when it was happy and not obsessed with guns, violence, white chicks and oh yeah as much neon lighting as the laws of physics allow. Previous collaborations with Ladytron saw an angsty T-Rex based setup, but ‘Blue Honey’ goes someway to lending guitar strokes of the mighty Zeppelin and sonorous vocals that stand up to any vintage stoner’s darkest moments in crack dens across the land.

If I resided in the historical era of Levi’s influences, I would be proud to play this in my electric-yellow van with a disco ball and Uncle Frank’s old mattress for comfort. But sadly I am not, so I’ll have to settle with donning my stone-washed jeans and parading through the mean streets of Hoxton with it nestled safely on my iPod.

By Matt Hussey

http://www.poplevi.com/