Lucy & the Caterpillar
Hmm. It’s quite possible you might listen to this and find yourself choking on the sweetness.
I find I have to tread very carefully with music like this because it slips very subtly from the unbearable (Kate Nash) to the brilliant (Ruth Theodore). Where in between these two extremes does the lovely Lucy sit? Well certainly much closer to Ruth, although she definitely seems to be more of a flibbertigibbet that that fine lady. She’s not as witty as Emmy the Great, who I kind of like, but generally more wistfully melancholy, which brings a dreamy sweetness to her music which neither Emmy nor Ruth ever seem to quite manage.
I’m not trying to be clever with the first name terms here, either, it just seems way, way more approriate for this kind of faux-naïf waifstrel persona.
I think that when it comes down to it what makes the two songs I was sent charming and engaging might have a lot to do with the fiddle work. She’s working with the Earlies at the moment, which may explain that, and I believe Emmy the Great is also doing some work them as well. Most of the pathos of the music seems to lie in there; it’s a sort of gently nostalgic sound, shot through with something of an old time American folk vibe and is genuinely gorgeous.
Lucy’s Opinion is out shortly, but her previous single Red Red Wine (mercifully no, not that Red Red Wine) is available for purchase from her site, and the one before that, King’s Cross, can be found on Alcopop. I think my recommendation here has to be a little qualified. Lucy hasn’t recorded all that many songs just yet, so it’s hard to tell where she’s going from here. Any closer to Nashworld and I think I will lose interest pretty much immediately, but if she continues to play with that wistfully sad fiddle and keeps from being too pretty (musically of course, I don’t care what she looks like) then I reckon she has the potential to be very good indeed.
Lucy & the Caterpillar – Beans on Toast
Lucy & the Caterpillar – I Don’t Want Your Stupid Crisps
site | myspace | buy single
crapometer is bleeping.
Heh heh. Yeah, it’s the fiddle that does it for me though. I’m on the fence a little on this one.
I think L&tC is another one of those young impressionable sorts what sees the likes of Nash (or whoever it was before her) & finks, yea-ah! I can do that & picks a silly name for herself, like Florence & The Machine, & starts playing bits & pices to her mates, then down the pub opening for non-ornic ‘metal’ bands, then *boom*, Myspace picks her as an artist to watch. Well, more of a *pffftfft*.
I like L&tC (I think a bit more than you), & I can see what you mean about the potential of focus wander re: the Nash, & I sometimes squirm when I hear the more woodland imp/sherbert dib dab cutesie stuff, but I also do that with Emmy The Great & a handful of others I could mention.
Fucking Cunting Hell. I really should not type comments while at work. That’s littered with typos. Pissing flapdoodle.
Erm, calm down DC. Just take your pills and have a sit down, it’ll pass over shortly enough.
I know what you mean. This treads a very fine line at the moment. Come down on one side and I’ll be a huge fan, come down on the other and I’ll be off like a prom dress.
I love *that* Red Red Wine!
bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep.
Tim, shame on you! It was such a high school disco (the real ones at my actual high school, not the perv club) staple that it still gives me the twitches hearing it now.
Is ‘the caterpillar’ the name of her backing band?
Or did she actually teach a real life caterpillar to play wistfully sad violin?
Cos I’d pay to see that.
Though, otherwise – guess what?
I don’t like this!
I don’t think it’s very good!
Shock! Horror!
(Though she seems like a lovely girl and I wish her all the success in the world.)
It’s her guitar, apparently.
Bart in *not liking something* shock!
I presume the version of Red Red Wine you hate is the UB40 one. Try the older Tony Tribe reggae version – it’s great. Can’t say I’ve ever heard the Neil Diamond original though, but I doubt that would be going down at school discos…
[...] Oh and if you have a few minutes to spare – read the following piece from Song, by Toad – who posted a cracking article on lovely Lucy and the Caterpillar [...]
Oh, never heard that. But school discos mate, you can never wash the taint off, no matter how good the original version!
somebody in liking lucy shock!!! what??! bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
Steady on lads. She’s not Coldplay, show some bloody compassion you heartless bunch of swine.