Into Music Review: The Courettes

Concert: The Courettes 
Venue: Glasgow Mono
Date:  28 October 2021

If you keep your ear to the ground on what the latest “buzz” is in the music industry it’s fair to say one band that has been causing a stir over the past few months is The Courettes. The release of their third studio album Back In Mono has resulted in top reviews across the music press and the band leaving a series of red hot gigs in their trail as they’ve weaved their way around Europe and the U.K. 

At the heart of their sound is that god damn rock and roll, the kinda stuff that don’t save souls (copyright, Lux Interior/Ivy Rorschach). Add to that a heady mix of Spectoresque Wall of Sound, 60s girl group harmonies, Link Wray fuzz guitar, tough surf and garage beats and a infallible punk energy and you’re about there. 

Having played to a sold out crowd the night before at the wonderful Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, the atmosphere in Mono was one of nervous anticipation for what was to come. The jolt I experienced as the first notes of Hoodoo Hop landed, startled me to put it mildly, the sound was LOUD. No gentle easing in here, this was raw, primal, feral rock and roll. All this produced by husband and wife team Flavia (singer/ guitarist) and her husband Martin (drummer). I sometimes wonder about the ability of a two piece to sound anything other than one dimensional but that theory was blown out the water by The Courettes. Flavia espoused a riot girl attitude while weaving wild, trashy guitar loops which were complemented perfectly by Martin who was hunched over, beating the living crap out of the skins. 

R.I.N.G.O. featured early on the set, the band’s homage to one Richard Starkey, a 3 minute syrupy poptastic earworm exploding with harmony that deserves to be heard far and wide. Another new album track, Trash Can Honey saw Martin vociferously outline the backstory to the track, let’s just say it is quite the diatribe to their old record label and the drums were suitably pummeled! Next up was the album opener, Want You! Like A Cigarette, another velvety retro pearler which purred and swished, a real toe tapper which even got me dancing (not a good sight but, hey)!   

The band also provided a fair mix of tracks from earlier albums Here We Are, The Courettes and the follow up, We Are The Courettes. I’ve Been Walking, T-C-H-A-U and Strawberry Boy all going down a storm with a crowd who seemed well-versed in the band’s back catalogue. 

A personal favorite was Boom! Dynamite! which pounded along like a runaway train, the guitar and drums combo in perfect unison for a track that really stands out when played live. Before we knew it, a Duane Eddy-inspired guitar intro morphs into the excellent Hop The Twig, the crowd letting loose and going wild. 

The choice to play Mono was an inspired one to help promote the Back In Mono album and I for one hope that The Courettes are back soon to give us more of that god damn rock and roll.  

Keep up to date with The Courettes via their website here. 

John Welsh
@welshjb

Feature image courtesy of @trevorpake

Links:

Twitter: @the_courettes

Facebook: courettes