Joker's Daughter: The Last Laugh
Joker's Daughter have The Last Laugh
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Tuesday, 16, Jun 2009 09:04
Double Six Records, out June 15th.
In a nutshell...
Floaty, bouncy, soothing, twinkly, trippy, folk-loveliness
What's it all about?
Debut pop folk album from singer songwriter Helena Costas and American artist/producer Danger Mouse.
Who's it by?
This unusual collaboration between London born singer songwriter Costas and famed hip hop and alternative artist/producer Danger Mouse, came about after classically trained Costa began sending her home recordings to Danger Mouse in 2003.
In the past Danger Mouse has received acclaim after producing Gorillaz second album Demon Days and as an artist as half of Gnarls Barkley.
This album also features the horns of Neutral Milk Hotel's Scott Spillane and string arrangements provided by Daniele Luppi.
As an example...
"A ring of fire falls on to the lake, as you go walking/A jousting knight throws his sword away, as you go walking." - Go Walking
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Not as unlikely as you might think for a folk debut. Danger Mouse is no stranger to the Grammys and Costas crooning sound is not dissimilar at times to another UK twinkly songstress- Bats For Lashes, who has enjoyed nominations at the Brits (2008) and for the Mercury Prize (2007).
What the others say
"If there's a complaint, it's only that without DM's involvement, Costas might well have been just another well-meaning freak-folkie. Never mind, the bar for what modern folk music can sound like has now been raised higher than at any time since Bob's 'Judas' moment." - Independent
"Like Alice's Wonderland, the world of Joker's Daughter is freakish and marvellous by turns, a perfect soundtrack for your next mushroom tea party." - Rolling Stone
So is it any good?
This album is delightfully easy to listen to, not least because of Costas' soothing voice.
Lyrical tales of knights, lakes and fairies are juxtaposed with everyday wonders such as the humble Jaffa cake. The resulting short tracks (all are under four minutes long) are snippets of phantasmagoria which at times are silly and fun and at others mystical and dark.
Danger Mouse's backing of blended electro synth noises and mischievous beeps stands perfectly against string accompaniment provided by Luppi and gives light relief from Costa's haunting voice.
Particularly noteworthy is poptastic summer track Lucid, where DM's electro whirl punctuation dares you not to tap your feet as Costas voice flutters about giant trolls with tiny fairy wings.
This is an album of rainbows and storms in a forest - picture a pixie with a packet of biscuits in their hands. It's the music that should be playing when Disney's Cinderella has the animals help her out with the housework. An impressive debut.
7/10
Fay Nyberg