Album Mini-review: Charlie Faye & the Fayettes
File next to: Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach
Though she’s previously released two albums and an EP under her own name, Austin’s Charlie Faye has engaged in a radical makeover for her latest project. Gone are the alt-country trappings of those earlier discs, replaced by a sound that focuses squarely on sixties pop of the Stax and Brill Building varieties. Ably abetted by two excellent singers (BettySoo and Akina Adderley, the latter a scion of jazz royalty) and a superb group of musicians that includes Pete Thomas, Roger Manning (Jellyfish, Moog Cookbook) and Lyle Workman. Faye’s songs never fail to evoke the sound and aesthetic of classic girl-group and southern soul. Yet somehow the album never feels like an overt pastiche; when they sing about giving a guy the go-ahead (“Green Light”) or love in general (”Sweet Little Messages”), Charlie Faye & the Fayettes sound like they mean it.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.