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So say the folks at Counter Records, the sub-label of taste makers and label of choice, Ninja Tune. Ever since Ninja Tune teased us with ‘Dita Dimoné’ on compilation You Don’t Know and then the single ‘Never Never Love’ only to return to ‘Dita Dimoné’, we’ve been looking forward to the full album coming out.

Levi’s almost a one man band as one this album as well as writing all the tracks and producing the album (impressively recorded in Hollywood at Quincy Jones’ former studio and birth place of Thriller and Off The Wall). If the idea was to achieve the commercial success of Mr. Jackson’s album of 25 odd years ago, our Pop Levi goes for his own ‘avant-pop’ lo-fi/hi-fi approach that one minute is a stompin’ ‘Wannamamma’ to a sweetly crafted anti-love song, ‘Semi-Babe’ (the Chilled Cider hit).

After a session getting back to my roots with Bowie this week, Pop’s got more than a hankering for the 70s excesses; as you can tell from the Kimono My House cover to the Sissor Sisters/Groldfapp glam of ‘Wannamama’; this will be a summer hit along with the earlier singles.

‘Fire On Your Feet’ is a bit Marc Bolanesque with a big beat and that’s followed by a disco-calypso-vocodered ‘Mai’s Space’ (one to avoid if you ask me but typically tongue in cheekiness as now doubt My Space is the pun). But he’s soon back to form with a in your face rocker, ‘Oh God (What Can I Do?)’ and the electro boogie wobble of ‘Everything & Finally’ (respect to Prince).

This is the range of twisted pop culture that comes easily to the mind of this former child protégé (playing piano at 3, gospel choir at 7, writing songs at 9), formerly one third of psych-jazz-groovers Super Numeri and part-time bass player in electro-popsters Ladytron. It was on a Ladytron tour that he fell in love with LA (check out the Madlib/Peanut Butter Wolf’s LA Guide HERE) and decided that was the place to make music (also see below some live gigs coming up in August).

Now even if ‘Everything & Finally’ is stuck on my player as a big tune, the album ends on a chilled out eletro durge called ‘Fountain of Lies’ which gets hooks into your brain on every listen.

Forthcoming Live Dates:
Fri — 01/08/08 Los Angeles @ The Echo — Pop Levi w/ Friendly Fires
Fri — 08/08/08 Los Angeles @ The Echo — Pop Levi
Fri — 15/08/08 Los Angeles @ The Echo — Pop Levi
Sat — 13/09/08 Morrison @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre Pop Levi w/ White Denim, Darker My Love, Cameron McGill, Port O’Brien, Lovelikefire

Reviewed: Pop Levi — Never Never Love (Counter Records) Cat. No: COUNT010 Release date: 14th July 2008
Tracklisting:
1 Wannamama (3:31)
2 Never Never Love (3:08)
3 Dita Dimoné (3:33)
4 Semi-Babe (3:27)
5 Fire On Your Feet (3:23)
6 Mai’s Space (3:08)
7 You Don’t Gotta Run (3:12)
8 Oh God (What Can I Do?) (3:07)
9 Everything & Finally (3:27)
10 Love You Straight (3:11)
11 Call The Operator (3:26)
12 Calling Me Down (4:01)
13 Fountain Of Lies (3:02)

Links:
www.poplevi.com
www.youtube.com/poplevi
www.myspace.com/poplevi
www.counterrecords.com
www.myspace.com/counterspace
www.myspace.com/theheavy73
www.myspace.com/thedeathset
www.myspace.com/supernumeri
www.myspace.com/astral
www.ladytron.com
www.myspace.com/ladytron