Stellar UK press for Hollywood’s Lady of dark electro & synth pop.
Electronically Yours profiles Rachel Car & Strater Records including a little shout out for Faust Haus. We‘ll take it!
Introducing…Rachel Car in Tinsel TownA massive surge in electro activity may well be engulfing most of Europe where even the UK is being re-awakened to the collective charms of warm analogue synths and chic female vocals, but what of the US?
Hollywood's Rachel Car has fused some very soulful vocals with brilliant new wave synth rifts that stimulates passionate thoughts of early Soft Cell/Depeche Mode hooks and it all sounds like something you would hear blasting out from the seediest corners of Soho. There are a few tracks on 'Behave' that may just tempt you to venture into seedy clubland.
After leaving Yazoo in 1983, Sir Vince Clarke flirted around a musical project entitled The Assembly and released the gem 'Never Never' with guest vocals from Feargal Sharkey. What made the track work was the bizarre contrast between Sharkey's vocals (more associated with punk at the time in the UK) and Clarke's mournful and haunting electronic backing and it's surprising that more haven't followed the Yazoo/Assembly route since.
The Assembly contrast was the first thing we thought of when we received a package from Strater Records in Los Angeles containing Rachel Carr's EP, as we sat back with some fine wine and turned up the volume. Rachel's voice is special. She can hold a note as well as the likes of Annie Lennox, Alison Moyet and Amy Winehouse (how we would love to see her make an electro record), Rachel can also provide an effortless amount of complex vocal harmonies and when this is mixed in with the stark electronics of 'Behave' - it sounds like heaven to our ears (and we still adore 'You Got The Love' by The Source & Candi Staton after all these years). The 4 track 'Behave' EP kicks off with 'Keep Me High' with it's echoes of Debbie Harry circa 1979 during the intro before moving into a classic Vince Clarke musical interlude coupled with some soaring early Eurythmic-like vocal wailings.
Title track 'Behave' is next up and it has a very lovely fat squelchy bass with arpeggiated sequences coupled with a haunting synth melody that you may have come across on the 12" of 1984 Bronski Beat classic 'Smalltown Boy'. The track is driven by an extremely catchy bassline with seductive 'oohs' and 'aahs' from Rachel at crucial moements. We haven't been able to get enough of this track and if/when we get to put together an Electronically Yours CD compilation (and we could be pretty close to getting one of those sorted out ;)) - 'Behave' will be a contender.
More squelchy bass action for track 3 'Superstar' and we can't get enough of squelchy bass action - for over 20 years now - we have been seduced by it. 'Superstar' is a great track by anyone's standards but it is somewhat eclipsed by the EP's finale (and another contender for the proposed Electronically Yours CD comp). 'Love Love Baby' is perhaps the finest of the tracks on offer. It's delectable, saucy and slightly naughty. Rachel sings about wanting a woman and she 'knows it's a sin' - this is perfect electro nightclub dancefloor filler material with precise beats and pounding synths and a little bit of 'Darkness' by The Human League. The track is minimal yet full on at the same time and the entire EP is written, produced, engineered and programmed by Rachel.
This music is so unlike Hollywood - there is real talent captured on this EP. Strater Records have produced some very collectable packaging for the Car release that endeared us to the artist even more. The digipak contins four picture cards featuring Rachel rolling in hay and if you turn them over - you get the lyrics to each track - its a lovely touch and we can't wait to hear more electro soul searching from Rachel in Tinsel Town.
If you head on over to Rachel's official myspace page, you can listen to all four 'Behave' tracks plus watch an exclusive interview where the singer answers cheeky questions from fans.
Rachel Car @ myspaceRachel Car official site
