Skip to content
DVDfever.co.uk – Jokers Daughter: The Last Laugh CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Domino/Double Six Records
- Released: June 2009
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Gorgeous. Beguiling. Sweet. Quirky. Ethereal . Oh, and stunning.
This is the first collaboration between desk-wizard Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse and multi-instrumentalist Greek-Cypriot-Londoner Helena Costas.
Both have been in touch since their early days (Costas sending several home recordings) hoping hed pick up on them. And now he has finally come up trumps on what is a sonically beautiful album. For years, it would seem, Costas knew she had some worthy material for the recording studio. There was only one man worth waiting for to put it all together.
Much of it is dreamy, with lush production values synonymous with Danger Mouse. OK, so hes at the production helm, but its Costas album in reality, though he has probably brought much of his Gnarls Barkley Midas touch to it, but in a totally different way. No dance beats from his GB or Gorillaz days. This is clever stuff.
Chances are hes never had to handle music like this before, and if he hasnt, then credits due because hes brought out something really special over the 14 songs.
I think it would be true to say hes left much of the songwriting craft to Costas which draws on 60s stylings brought into 21st century by delicate and subtle touches found initially on the whacky sounding Jessie The Goat, sung in Cypriot Greek and there again on the ghostly vocal production on the tingling acoustic ballad Go Walking, with the mater-stroke coming by way of fluffy strings by regular Burton collaborator Daniele Luppi who gives the benefit of her talent throughout this collection.
The strolling jazz-lite ballad JD Folk Blues is the first song with a memorable hook with distinct radio-play qualities featuring snippets of xylophone, though slap-bang-in-the-middle Under The Influence Of Jaffa Cakes (yes, really) is probably the killer track thats going to propel Last Laughs commercial success.
Pushing the boundaries even further, Jelly Belly belongs to more to Lily Allens reggae-lite repertoire than any other comparison right now, and Nothing Is Ever What It Seems would fit perfectly on Led Zeppelin 4s Californian folk leanings like The Battle Of Evermore or Going To California. The acoustic guitar, strings and Costass vocals make this the albums star track.
Closer, Yellow Teapot has yet another 60s throw-back feel, around the time of say Sgt.Peppers, sealing a fabulous debut.
Question is? Could she do it without DM? If think so.
The verdict Excellent start. Watch this space.
Weblink:myspace.com/jokersdaughter
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Worms Head
2. Jessie The Goat
3. Go Walking
4. Lucid
5. JD Folk Blues
6. The Last Laugh
7. Under The Influence Of Jaffa Cakes
8. Jelly Belly
9. Cake And July
10. Chasing Ticking Crocodile
11. Nothing Is Ever What It Seems
12. The Running Goblin
13. The Bull Bites Back
14. Yellow TeapotView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.