Customer Reviews

Kelly's Locker

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw St. Etienne at the Fillmore in San Francisco recently and all eyes in the auditorium were on Sarah. She is probably the best kept secret in pop, mixing a lot of what was great with the golden age of britpop chanteuses from the 1960's, like Petula Clark and Marianne Faithfull. I'm sure you have all heard the comparisons. On stage, there's no doubt that Sarah has a lot of star and sex appeal. One flash of that coy smile and shy downard look and you're hooked. After hearing her bubbly EP "Kelly's Locker," I'm sure her popularity as a solo artist will grow. Try listening to the opening track "Judy Don't You Worry" in a quiet place with only candles illuminating the room. Songs like "Taxi" and the remix of "Anymore" are genuinely upbeat and may be destined for a European dance floor or "Britpop Day" at a club near you. Don't be afraid with the EP lable, either. Unlike Etienne's disappointing EP "Places to Visit," this one is a gem...

This U.S.-only release is a great addendum to the U.S. mix of Sarah Cracknell's "Lipslide" album - the songs here might as well have been on "Lipslide," and some of them were in fact on non-U.S. editions of "Lipslide." The e.p. is 35 minutes long in total, which makes it a steal for ten bucks.

Of the eight songs here, all but two ought to be new to American listeners, and some of them are really excellent - "Penthouse Girl, Basement Boy" and "Taxi" are brilliant and worth the price by themselves. All of the songs are typical Sarah Cracknell fare, which is to say vaguely 60s in their approach and also very mainstream - not really as quirky or swinging as her stuff with Saint Etienne. The only disappointments here are the two remixes (of "Home" and "Anymore") - they're not really as good as the originals - but hey, it's only an e.p.! Everything else is total pop happiness, with Sarah using some *big* beats on some of the songs. I think six new songs on an e.p. is awesome and an awesome move on Instinct's part for U.S. fans.

Anyway: if you liked "Lipslide" like I did, then you'll like Kelly's Locker too. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

a must have for any britpop fan. this inexpensive ep is terrific from beginning to end, with the standouts being "taxi" and the "anymore" remix. both songs are much more dance-oriented than anything by st. etienne. sarah's twee voice may take some getting used to and the production could be a bit more beat heavy, but you will not be disappointed.

The two actual new tracks here "Judy, Don't You Worry", and "Sea Shells" are both very good. If, like me, you don't already have the excellent "Taking Off For France" on an import version of "Lipslide", then this track alone is worth the price of this EP. This song reminds me a lot of "Like a Moterway", one of my favorites by Saint Etienne. I also like "Taxi" and "Penthouse Girl ,Basement Boy", both of which are also fairly fast paced songs. I don't much care for "How Far", finding my self asking "How Long?" (will this song keep going). I usually skip it. As for the remixes, I find the Armchair Mix of "Home" to be interesting yet unnecessary, and Nino's Liquid Steel Mix of "Anymore" to be a bit tedious. All in all however, a worthwhile purchase, and a definite must buy for fans of Saint Etienne.

Great picture on the CD Cover!

I haven't got around to purchasing Cracknell's Lipslide since I got all the songs from Napster and the CD is pretty costly. However at 10 bucks Kelly's Locker was a must have. I enjoy 'Home' and 'Taxi' in particular. This is a nice collection of pop with a slightly retro 60's tinge. Very sweet. Very nice.