It’s easy to scoff at one-trick ponies, but what happens when the one trick is particularly nifty? Consider Louis XIV, who hark back to the days of T-Rex and Bowie. Their debut is a collection of upbeat numbers that conjure images of purple sparkly platform boots and men in suspenders.
Essentially, it’s a second Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack, just without the film to go with it.
It’s about as much fun too – even the slowies such as ‘All The Little Pieces’ are performed with a wayward smile that indicate these boys want to change the pace rather than the mood.
Throughout, frontman Jason Hill’s vocals have that Rocky Horror air of defiance, helped by a great faux-English accent.
But (you knew there was a but) there’s a limit to how much glam one can take given we’re four decades on.
Had this been an EP and they’d just split up, we’d have lamented their demise and spoken of their potential to go far – stand out tracks like ‘Finding Out True Love Is Blind’ and ‘A Letter To Dominique’ would sound heavenly kitsch on a compliation tape. Or MP3 playlist, now we’re in the era of downloads.
But as a concept for a band? There’s probably an EU-recommended dose of glam in any one sitting, and Louis XIV have exceeded it.
This is a shame. Behind the sexual innuendo and retro guitar lies some nifty musicianship.