Nouvellas: Nouvellas

After the New York-based retro-septet the Dansettes hopped off the soul-pop carousel in 2007, five of them hopped back on as the Nouvellas and put some sinew into their slick soul sound. The result is a superb debut album that effortlessly blends funk, countrified garage-rock, and deep soul — occasionally all in the same song. Fronted by the impressive gritty dual vocal assault of Jaimie Kozyra and Leah Fishman, fresh from backing Sharon Jones on 100 Days, 100 Nights, with bassist Joseph Babic and drummer Andy Pierce kicking out the tight ‘n’ funky backbeat alongside Andy’s country-pickin’ brother Dennis on Telecaster, the band thrill with energized garage-soul numbers like opener “Baby You Changed Your Mind” and “Can’t Take It”, before taking it down a notch and closing with the album’s standout, “Right Kind of Women Pt.II”, a moody slab of mid-’60s-style Southern soul. Watch this space!