Misty Roses - Villainess

Phil Spector’s influence lives on in this swooping ’60s-style orchestral pop that fans of Richard Hawley or the Last Shadow Puppets will lap up. It’s the transatlantic duo’s second outing together, and follows similar grand themes of romance, heartbreak and heartfelt emotion. Like all the best music of that decade, there’s a dark undercurrent behind the polish and harmony, and singer Robert Conroy’s rich voice follows in the tradition of singers like Marc Almond and Billy McKenzie, channelling both light and shade to be simultaneously melancholic and optimistic. The lush arrangements and wide-open production bears unavoidable comparison to Scott Walker, especially on the epic, rolling Nicht Plus Ultra, but it’s not a wholly derivative package. Tracks like the glorious Mario and Dario or the swooning Clouded Sulphur embody the fact that we’ll never tire of the classic combination of great songwriting and a jaded touch of faded glamour.