Kid Charleroi is the musical project of Lafayette, Louisiana musician Amanda Sphar.
Clearly heavily inspired by 70’s rock and pop, her EP channels vintage acts like The Beach Boys, The Mama & The Papas and Fleetwood Mac as well as reminding us of more recent acts like Hal, The Watson Twins and The Thrills.
Recorded at Lil Squeeze studio in New Orleans, the EP is imbued with a retro-sounding charm and a sunshiney quality that is hard to quantify. The brass that is peppered throughout the release certainly contributes to this – it really adds another dimension and frankly, we can’t imagine these songs without it. The guitar tones throughout are varied and wonderful and the rhythm section is tight and well utilised. Special mention should be made of the backing vocals – particularly on the first track, Los Angeles, – the classic “waa-ooo” is executed excellently, and the same goes for the perfectly placed piano parts.
The moods of the EP range from upbeat and determined (Los Angeles) to almost funky (What Feels Right) and from balladering brilliance (April Gray) to reflective and poignant (Sigh Away).
Hopefully, an album follows the EP in the not-too-distant future.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
