As a follow up to their anthemic and timelyOlympics-ready JAM “Winner” (remixed to PERFECTION by Steve Smart & Westfunk I might add) English duo Noisettes (AKA Dan Smith & Shingai Shoniwa) are ready to unleash the first proper single from their forthcoming third album, Contact. The 60s inspired “That Girl” (listen BELOW) will be released August 13th in the UK via the band’s label, Vertigo Records. “That Girl” is the perfect lead single for the band, who’s retro vocal and vintage-inspired musical stylings have become a staple in their catalog. The sultry, soul-pop bopper recalls something straight out of the Motown era with it’s infectious, toe tapping beats and Shoniwa’s one-of-a-kind throwback vocals. Contact is due out August 27th.
Musically speaking, “Winner” and “That Girl” fall right in line with the material from their previous release, 2009’s flaw-free Wild Young Hearts, which spawned the band’s one and only top 5 UK smash, “Don’t Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go).” Follow up single, “Never Forget You” did modestly well in the UK, debuting in the top 20 at #20, while their sophomore album went on to become the duo’s highest charting and first top 10 album to date, peaking at #7 on the UK Albums Chart. When talking about their new album, the Shoniwa compares it to a film, saying:
“Contact for us, is like a film from beginning to end, musically, lyrically, emotionally. The album starts with a big thirty piece orchestra and ends with just Dan and I singing and just the cackling of the wood and the flames of the fire for accompaniment.”
The duo have been friends for over a decade, after meeting at the prestigious BRIT school, which explains their musical chemistry perfectly. According to Dan:
“Me and Shingai are a great double act in the studio whether we are writing on our own or with other people. The trousers (metaphorically of course) are on a rota. Sometimes I wear them and sometimes she does and occasionally we get a leg each but mostly each of us knows when we are supposed to lead or follow and it could be at any time that we need to switch roles.”
Having seen Noisettes live myself, I can personally vouch for their dynamic stage presence and phenomenal ability to both engage and entertain the crowd. The fact that they have been described by The Guardian as “the best live band in Britain” is no surprise to me whatsoever. “We always go that extra mile to give the crowd a night they’ll never forget,” says Shoniwa. As my experience dictates, that might very well be the understatement of the year.
In addition to releasing a new album, Noisettes have already had quite the year! They performed at the historic Diamond Jubilee Festival in Battersea Park on June 3rd and at the BT River of Music concert on July 22nd acting as a sort of “curtain-raiser” for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Listen to bits of the entire album on the band’s SoundCloud page HERE and pre-order “Contact” today (iTunes UK/iTunes US) and pick it up August 27th and get ready to download “That Girl” starting on August 13th. Make sure you also check out the STUNNING video for “Winner” BELOW. Noisettes are back baby!
