MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST: Charlie Boyer and the Voyeurs - Clarietta

Clarietta is the first full-length release from east-London darlings Charlie Boyer and the Voyeurs, out now on Heavenly. This debut effort from the all-male five-piece features lashings of sexy, dirty rock ‘n’ roll delivered with plenty of dapper charisma. Title track Clarietta follows on from the album’s lead single Be Glamorous, released on May 20th, along with an additional couple of singles released in late 2012.

Clarietta could easily be accused of being highly derivative – what with its clear channelling of all things seventies. From NYC art punk to glam rock – influences are palpable even to the untrained ear. There are more than subtle hints of Television, T-Rex, Sparks and the New York Dolls throughout this release, and within the group’s style in general. Certainly, with their direct and almost simplistic style of rock, Charlie and the gang are not forging paths into anything particularly new or innovative.

Ultimately though this album’s strong influences, combined with its simplicity, and strength of purpose, are the root to its charm. The group’s clear influences solidify their message – they are all about charming, primitive rock ‘n ‘roll with a wealth of blues and glam thrown in for good measure. This is music with crunchy bass lines, distorted guitars, heavily set phasers and punched up effects units – plain and simple.

Make no mistake, however, Boyer and the Voyeurs are no pastiche. The group offer music that is a little toned down, less excessive, more subtly exuding sex and glamour than their 70s counterparts. There is a notable fusion of genres at play too, with elements of proto-punk and the sloppiness of grunge and garage punk thrown into the mix to create a clever, well presented vision of sound.

When the ultimate message of Clarietta is so clear-cut, individual elements matter little. Melodies and chord progressions are simple. Vocals are a vaguely constructed, hansom drawl. What is important is what it ultimately offers – tasty, alluring and convincing rock, with clear 70s references familiar enough to appeal to a larger audience.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/charlie-boyer-and-the-voyeurs-clarietta/