Georgie James - Places

Sidestepping the past is practically impossible these days. The music industry's cyclical nature ensures every note and every rhythm - no matter how intricate – cites the melodic traditions of bygone eras. But Washington's Georgie James take this subconscious re-fabrication a step further than most by shamelessly regurgitating 60s and 70s pop luminaries with verbatim precision. The duo's debut LP Places displays no trace of the modernistic beat patterns that make kitsch jingle-merchants Jens Lekman or Peter Bjorn & John so enticing; preferring instead to blast out jaundiced organ-loaded blusters like Cake Parade and More Lights as if immersed in a Summer of Love time bubble. Knee-deep in the obligatory hand-clap/xylophone chime combo, Henry & Hanzy is the album's corduroy-clad apex that scuffles along with the mouse-like timidity of The Carpenters – only tweedier. The past may well be unavoidable but Places is one record you can easily elude. [Billy Hamilton]