50/50 Part 1: Gypsybilly Vol. 5
GB, 2022
9/10
Listen 50/50 Part 1: Gypsybilly Vol. 5
The Vignatis consists of Fabrice Vignati (vocals, guitar, banjo) and Tracy Vignati (vocals, clarinet, keys), and together they birth a rockabilly, French gypsy jazz and beat friendly formula that’s as exciting as it is inimitable across these 5 originals and 5 covers.
The bouncy and playful “Chicken Fried” opens and is steeped in country ideas, but certainly welcomes some diverse moments with the clarinet and banjo prowess, and “With A Little Help From My Friends” follows with a very upbeat and frisky interpretation of the classic from The Beatles that will get your body moving to the infectious energy.
Close to the middle, the raspy and tuneful “Welcome To The Jungle” puts an charming spin on the hard rocker that we never knew could be enhanced by a banjo, while “Thriller” isn’t quite as haunting as the original but is certainly as memorable with its rockabilly demeanor.
Near the exit, “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” makes great use of clarinet, as the pair harmonize on the U2 staple, and “Belle”, an original, finishes with breezy melodies and a very cozy, tuneful display of cultured and timeless musicianship.
If you’re like me and prefer your cover songs to not be note for note the same as the originals, you’re really going to admire the song craft here. The songs the pair penned on their own are excellent, too, and embrace all the hallmarks we love about roots rock, alt-country and neo-swing, but present them in very unconventional ways.
Travels well with: Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band- Poor Until Payday; The Devil Makes Three- Chains Are Broken