Art Dealers
Contender, 2023
8/10
A love letter to Lou Reed and Patti Smith’s New York, Low Cut Connie, i.e. Adam Weiner, returns with an 8th album of romantic anthems set to a deeply political time in history.
“Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” opens the listen with plenty of soulful rock that’s plenty energetic, but not without some cautious moments of R&B nods, and “Sleaze Me On” follows with thumping drums and loads of retro rock’n’roll spirit that you could dance to.
The intimate “Are You Gonna Run?” lands in the middle and emits emotive piano balladry that tugs on the heartstrings, while “Whips And Chains” is a buzzing, dirty rocker that as wild as it is contagious.
Close to the end, “I Don’t Understand You” might bring to mind Elton John via the bright classic rock ideas, and “Party’s Over” exits with a stripped bare landscape of expressive singing and soothing backing vocals.
Fleshed out in just over a week near Philadelphia, whether you’ve been hanging around for awhile or if this is your first party with Low Cut Connie, expect boogie-woogie moments, funk fun, hints of psychedelia and no lack of timeless rock flavor that spans many decades.
Travels well with: The Nude Party- Rides On; Aaron Lee Tasjan- Karma For Cheap