Although this two-girl, one boy trio are from Brighton in the south coast of England, they sound more like something on Nebraska’s Saddle Creek label—not a zillion miles removed from Azure Ray and Mynabirds, et al. Also slotting in with fellow not-so-brittle Brit-folkers Noah & the Whale and Mumford & Sons (with whom they’ve played), the four-year-old group show the hard work they’ve been putting in these last four years (most of it as Peggy Sue & the Pirates , although given the popularity over there of Pete & the Pirates, let alone those isles illustrious rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, that was undoubtedly wise) on this first LP, as this is arresting stuff for all its simple presentations instead of drab and unimaginative. Really, these days there are a ton of indie-folk bands doing genuinely interesting work instead of merely nostalgic throwbacks—nearly as many as there were alt.country bands in the heyday of the print version of No Depression , a decade ago. But these ladies, Katy Young and Rose Slade, are no shrinking violets. In fact, although their guitars are prim and proper and as old-world traditional as The Carter Family (with what sounds like accordion on “Yo Mama” and searing Spanish/spaghetti western trumpet on “I Read it in the Paper,” and other such spices), their bad-ass blend of voices, weaving in and around each other, call to mind more Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse’s revival of the young Mary Wells and Etta James (and Big Momma Thornton) soul voices. It’s a great idea to use such huskier singing to push forth these acoustic/picked electric tracks, in the way that My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden brings a darker, meaner edge to The Decemberists when she signs with them, or Canada’s Feist really lets loose over even her spry material. Sometimes less really is more, when vocals really carry the day, and given a chance, Fossils will slyly, silently, bite you in the butt. (yeproc.com)
