Candy Now

An experiment in retro sounds, this album was produced by Blag Dahlia, vocalist for punk band Dwarves, and MVD Audio. Featuring the vocals of Angelina Moysov (Persephone’s Bees) and Blag Dahlia, the two attempt to recreate the retro vibes of the past, ranging from country to jazz to everything in between in this eclectic mashup. FCC Track to watch: 12. Recommended Tracks: 1,7, 9

1. ***Opens with organ sounding like the organ of the Zombies “Time of the Season”-esque time. Male and female vocals. Pretty catchy lyrics. Vocals definitely have a personality. Male voice kind of sounds like Smash Mouth (especially in track “All-Star”). Pretty innocent lyrics.
2. Major key. Song based on “Alice in Wonderland” story. Rather upbeat. Picks up a country twang at the bridge, then drops it.
3. Features record scratches. Starts off with low-quality audio like when audio was beginning to take off. Kind of sounds like Bowling for Soup.
4. Bit darker than the previous tracks. Kind of telling a story, where the male is the narrator and the female is speaking the dialogue. Catchy beat.
5. Back to the country-style sound. Lovey-dovey lyrics about waiting. Very story-oriented, along with dialogue between the singers (just speaking regularly). Only female vocal given name (Angelina).
6. A mysterious, flamenco-style vibe to this track. The female vocals kick this track off. Picks up a minute in.
7. ***Vocals sound a little more raspy/aggressive than in previous tracks. A deep voice introduces the chorus, kinda sounding like Johnny Cash. Cool guitar solo. Pretty short track (2:42)
8. Old-school ballad, like a faster, higher-pitched “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. Female vocals dominate. (2:25). Male monologue. Really cool vocal tricks.
9. ***Back to the poppy rock of the rest of the album. Blink-182-style lyrics with happier beats. Kind of has a ska swing in the background. Edgy guitar solo. (1:56)
10. Can’t quite place how it sounds. Like Kaiser Chief’s “Ruby” and Superbus’ “Radio Song”, this track sounds like it belongs on Guitar Hero III. Very solid bass/guitar driving the extremely catchy alternating beat. Fades to end.
11. ***Upbeat New Orleans-style jazz swing. Whistling here, kind of like a song from a musical. Elvis Presley-style guitar. Alternating loudness. Brings in clarinet/trombone/tuba like a jazz quartet.
12. FCC: Bitch. Fast-paced country. Reverb whistling. Bitch could be replaced with a monosyllable name and would still sound the same. Pretty short song (1:23)