(Memphis Industries/Universal)

Brighton gals revive girl group pop

The name, the title, the artwork… they say it all before you’ve even heard a note of music. The Pipettes from Brighton, England hark back to the days of The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las (they’re too bad-ass for Supremes comparisons). Their girl-group mannerisms are particularly authentic, featuring three central female vocalists who wear matching polka dot dresses and sing to choreographed moves and backing music performed by all-male musos The Cassette. The Pipettes’ debut album, released last year in the UK, has got an Australian release in preparation for their Falls Festival appearance at the end of December.  Triple J listeners will be aware of the wonderfully fizzy single Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me, but further highlights from these 18 tracks also include the Spector-gone-disco of Pull Shapes, the orchestral pop sweep of Tell Me What You Want and the love ‘em and leave ‘em tale One Night Stand.  If there is a contemporary element to The Pipettes, it’s in the clean, crisp indie-pop arrangements, making the group sound like a missing link between The Shangri-Las and Camera Obscura. 

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MATT THROWER

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