Lewca - ‘Friday Night Rockstar’
Lewca smashes it with his release of the debut album, Friday Night Rockstar. The Brixton-born but French-living artist comes at us from Paris with love, humour, melancholy, and a bag full of drugs. This album is sexy and relentlessness. I was privileged enough to get an early peek and this is what I thought….
1) “Such a Cunt” – The message of ‘SAC’ is that we should all loosen up and stop taking ourselves so seriously. In other words, don’t be SAC! To be honest, I think we could all do with this advice. It makes a killer opening track and perfectly sets the scene for the next twelve songs. This is a piano-driven tune that is accompanied by drums, or, at least, that's what we initially believe, until Lewca offers the album's first twist– as the song progresses, it almost sounds drum and bass-like and gives us a hint that this album will let rip when needed.
2) “Friday Night Rockstar (Feat. Mondo Trasho)” – Primarily featuring guitars to give clothes to the song, the main axe swinger is Zar and he really shines offering up some great cock rock tones. The top chorus line is sung Mondo Trasho, which also brings a nice roughness to the presentation. The track has a lot of bounce, thanks to the drums, making you feel like you are a rockstar. The acidic synth that rolls over some passages of the song is, quite frankly, ridiculously inspired. For me, this is the first and definitely not the last “stand out track of the album.”
3) “Harmony Korine” – In this song, Lewca really demonstrates his storytelling talent by penning some incredibly funny lyrics. On some of the lines, it nearly seems as though Frankie Boyle may have provided assistance. This is one of the things that really shines in Lewca’s work and shows he is an exceptional talent. Not many people can write lyrics with such freedom and expression. The majority of the lively song's structure is made up of synthesisers. Additionally, the use of vocal effects demonstrates some good experimentation.
4) “A Million Things” – This song has a Blockheads-like vibe…. This is not the first time I have had the impression that Lewca is channelling the spirit of Ian from beyond the grave. I am not complaining either. The track has a vintage feel to it, thanks to the largely mid-'70s sounding keys. There is a very lovely breakdown in the middle of the song as well, which is a highlight. There is a lot of playfulness in the song and the "la la" ending strengthens this.
5) “Everyday Struggle (Feat. Oh! Paulo)” – Lewca creates a fantastically relevant and approachable story as he continues to demonstrate his unwavering talent for songwriting. OrangeG enhances this song with some gorgeous, top harmonica notes. He is a really inspired addition. Lewca seems to select his collaborations with the precision of a heat seeking missile– always on target. Just like Oh! Paulo, who performs the chorus line. The unrelenting, thrashing drums serve as the foundation of the song, while some effective EQ drum effects are used to create smooth transitions.
6) “Forget My Name (Feat. Victory Flow)” – The song begins with the finger-picked guitar style that Donovan taught Lennon in India. It is heard on so many songs, like “Octopus’s Garden,” “Julia,” “Dear Prudence,” “Sun King,” and so on… and progresses with piano and drums into a slow-burning, downtempo style anthem. The trumpets have a really meditative and reflective quality. The chorus, by Victory Flow, gives Lewca’s worn-out and angry phrases a very deep meaning. The song’s melancholy vibe is wonderfully complemented by the straightforward guitar solo. This song is definitely a gem.
7) “Incredible (Feat James Willows & Ambre)” – This is the album's high point, in my opinion, and it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in a while. The song firmly shifts the tone back to Lewca’s fun side and puts the album back into a groove. Ambre and Lewca’s combined bridge chorus achieves just the right amount of humour. The chorus portion is propelled along by James Willows’ soaring falsetto. It would be easy to interpret these shifts as ridiculous if I fully described them, but they are not. There is a smile on the face, but the song’s craftsmanship firmly keeps the track from being a parody. The guitar playing between the beats gives off a really interesting funk vibe. Lewca’s delivery of the lyrics is also exquisite and perfectly sets the mood for a song about getting high on drugs. The synthesiser that enters like glitter is also incredibly creative. There are certain sound effects that make me think of the song “Ring My Bell.” For me, this is a disco banger.
8) “The Love Within” – This is a return to influences, such as the Blockheads/Specials and it is an utter headbanger. This song is constructed using funk key lines and rhythms. The song’s framework is simple, yet all the components, including the bass and drums, truly fill out and drive the song along. Lewca recites the lyrics with ease. Although the words are, in places, “pornographic,” in the most fun sense, they are delivered in a way that conveys more passion than sleaze.
9) “Radio Gigolo” – With the guitar sounds, there are some more nods to cock rock from the 1980s, making you reflect on the excess of corporate rock in the days when men wore clothes from Kat Slater’s wardrobe and had Farrah Fawcett hairdos. Lewca also makes extensive use of vocal effects to evoke an unsettling mood. Once more, the witty lyrics absolutely hit the mark. The song’s frenzied quality is further enhanced by the drums.
10) “Golden God” – This track starts off with some spoken French and some sound-scaping that is somewhat reminiscent of Takeshi’s Castle. That is the only way I can describe it… you’ll probably think I am weird, but that is what my brain leaps to. The melody grooves like a song by The Beastie Boys. Manically moving within the sounds is the rapping which Lewca pulls off really well.
11) “A Song” – This one makes me think of “Chicken Town,” by John Cooper Clarke. The song is another potent slice of manic and the lyrics flow relentlessly. The sounds incorporated are like Zappa has just arrived at Lewca’s house and brought some decent quality drugs for him to indulge in, just after he’s finished his cornflakes.
12) “I Fell In Love With A Serial Killer” – This song perfectly fills the spot of the throw away, non serious track that comes near the end of an album… in the sense the Beatles gave us “Run For Your Life” and Oasis gave us “Digsy’s Dinner.” It does exactly what it says on the tin.
13) “Smoke In The Air” – This is the album’s conclusion and is about simply what we leave behind when we’re gone. The song is brilliantly smooth– laid back, yet inventive, playing on sounds that I can imagine hearing whilst walking around Camden Lock. In this, we get the rough of Lewca’s voice, which perfectly complements this excellent track. I describe the overall sound as lounge drum and bass and, for me, leaves me wanting more.
The album offers something for everyone. It is full of clichés, but, for me, that is what makes it novel. No one is filling this area of the market now that Jarvis Cocker is doing adverts for Eurostar. In a way, Lewca delivers something that, paradoxically, isn’t full of clichés... it feels new and fresh. This is a well-executed debut and is definitely worth your attention.