Fandabidozi

02. Merry-Go-Round03. Revolution04. Magic of Music05. Back to the City06. It’s Electric07. Antique Time Machine08. Lady on Fire09. April Showers10. Flowers on MarsSometimes what we need more than anything is for someone to tell us to cheer the fuck up. BOBBIE DAZZLE is not hugely concerned about anything beyond keeping the irrepressible spirit of ’70s glam rock alive. That seems reasonable, particularly given how awful everything is most of the time. This is unquestionably a time for angry and even socially aware heavy music, but there is no such thing as a time when listening to SLADE, SWEET, T.REX or Ziggy-era DAVID BOWIE is a bad idea.The glittery brainchild of (now former) ALUNAH singer Sian Greenway, BOBBIE DAZZLE are an escapist rock ‘n’ roll fantasy brought to life. In this colorful, parallel universe, bright colors and bright lights are all important. So too is dancing until your calf muscles give out. Meanwhile, every one of these songs has been designed to raise spirits and get people moving, while wearing silver jumpsuits and extraordinary hats. “Fandabidozi” has the all the exuberance and bravado that fuel the greatest debut albums, and Greenway’s lithe, soulful voice is utterly charming and wickedly addictive.Most importantly, BOBBIE DAZZLE are clearly in the business of inciting mass outbreaks of singalong joy. Underpinned by hard-as-nails rock ‘n’ roll riffs, “Lightning Fantasy” is a joyous, welcome-to-the-show flash of electricity and sass. The chorus is colossal, a passing resemblance to both SUZI QUATRO and peak STATUS QUO is extremely welcome, and a spiky, inventive arrangement passes by with such naturalistic ease that listeners may have to remind themselves that it is not, in fact, 1974. Pop sensibilities are thrust to the fore on “Merry-Go-Round”, which weaves shades of ABBA and BLONDIE into a simmering, ’70s rock strut, replete with cheeky, prog-tinged flourishes. Pinpoint sharp but patently psychedelic, it gives Greenway a chance to show her skills with a flute, as everything becomes reassuringly hazy, leading up to a big finish, which is as overblown and euphoric as ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA in their chart-busting pomp.This album is a ray of sunshine, with riffs to burn. “Revolution” is a classic glam stomp, with a raucous, yobs-to-the-front chorus, some audacious references to glam rock luminaries of the past, and more handclaps, cowbell and shouts of “Hey!” than anyone would sensibly request. It breezes past like the sweetest of memories, delivering a flurry of punches along the way. In contrast, “Magic of Music” allows a little melancholy into the mix, slowing the tempo to a languorous stroll and wringing psychedelic sustenance from the summery thrill of it all. To counter that tiny change of mood, “Back to the City” restores energy levels to maximum, bouncing away like one of the finest power-pop anthems ever penned. Which it might just be. Also: more handclaps. Handclaps are cool.There is a genuine risk that hopeful souls will listen to “Fandabidozi” and grin themselves into some wild, apoplectic state of happiness. Big, bold rock records like this are few and far between, and BOBBIE DAZZLE are fabulously unconcerned with chasing anyone else’s zeitgeist. Instead, by recognizing that songs like “Get It On”, “Suffragette City” and “Ballroom Blitz” have been sonic anti-depressants for generations of rock fans, and thereafter writing some new ones that completely embody that same spirit, Greenway and her resolutely upbeat comrades have become harbingers of a really fucking good time. Never mind your feelings, you gloomy lot, what we need is songs about antique time machines (“Antique Time Machine”, naturally) that sound like someone has dropped Elton John, Meatloaf and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” into a kaleidoscopic food blender and fired it up on the fastest setting. What we need is absurdly sexy rock songs like “Lady on Fire”, which mutate into meandering, folk-prog jams and back again, remaining highly danceable throughout. The rambling psych gospel of “April Showers” and the sharp-suited roots rock rush of “Flowers on Mars” bring the party to a halt, but BOBBIE DAZZLE have the songs and the style to make this the first big celebration of many. Fun’s back. Get involved.[embedded content]