From Northern California comes Retro Lounge duo Candy Now! Written almost entirely by Blag Dahlia from The Dwarves, he is enjoyed vocally by Angelina from critically acclaimed indie rockers Persephone’s Bees. If you are expecting it to sound like either band though then you’ll be disappointed. Although Bees fans are probably more likely to enjoy the album, any open minded fan of oldies or nostalgic newer acts will find a lot to enjoy on Candy Now!’s debut.
Although billed as a Retro Lounge act, Candy Now! offers a good bit more than that on their debut album. While it largely has an underlying (sometimes at the forefront) Pop bounce, it nods heavily towards all kinds of classic Fifties music. “On Your Side” and “Everloving You” are the most obvious nods to this era but “Do What You Wanna Do” is a beefier nod as well as is the Motown-ish “Bachelorette.” The Swing-laden “Bitch I Love You” and “Waiting Here For You” have a bit of a Country tinge as well that’s pretty darn likable. Despite its not so veiled throwback to a more interesting musical landscape, there are some pretty modern moments as well that make me wish Blag would produce a Persephone’s Bees record. “Take Me to Your leader” and “I Think Your Boyfriends Dead and I Love You” are excellent Avant-Garde-ish Indie Rock gems that will are easily the album’s highlights.
Overall if you are looking for something that is both different from most of today’s bands and plenty of fun then Candy Now! is for you. It takes a few spins to get used to but once you get into the Swing of things (pun intended) you’ll find yourself rockin’ out regularly to this quirky piece of vintage Rock and Roll.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
