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Straight out of a after-hours basement cabaret, Amour Obscur give us a glimpse into their upcoming Vic Thrill-produced full-length.
The core of the band is subway accordion busker, Matt Dallow, upright bassist and Orson Welles lookalike, Matt Goldpaugh, and burlesque vocalist, Dee Dee Vega. Together with drummer Fabio Columbo and trombonist Ric Becker, they recall the late, debaucherous nights of 1930s Europe using a palate drawn from traditional gypsy dances, klezmer music, Polish polka, Russian hop and lascivious German cabaret, as well as the nutty compositions of Raymond Scott.
“Take Me Take You” opens, an upbeat tale of wanton, lonesome lust that showcases the operatic delivery of Vega, part Edith Piaf, part Theo Kogan. “The Band Drinks for Free” is a slower affair, a rollicking number that makes you want to raise your glass of beer and sway to the beat. Finally, “Elegy for the Mars Bar” lovingly remembers a favorite Lower East Side haunt that sadly closed its doors in July 2011.
The nicest thing about this EP, perhaps, is the genuine affection and excitement you can hear from the band, as opposed to the typical, cynical hipster “I’m doing something different for the sake of doing something different” attitude. It’s an energy that makes the up-coming full-length so much more anticipated. I’ll drink to that!
