(lee*vee) JAMES LEVY, NICK PANKEN, JACOB SLOAN, DAVID MULLER, DAVID QUATTRINI
When Levy released their album Rotten Love 2005 it came and went without a fanfare but for those who got to see them live or had the chance to listen to the album their was a hint that this might be a band to look out for, now with this new release Glorious we have a newly revamped line-up but still retaining it’s initial vision courtesy of lead singer songwriter James Levy. Current single and title track Glorious kicks off proceedings which is a worthy opener, the right blend of a catchy chorus set against Levy’s distinctive vocals but it is the following song So Hard that really kicks in and given the right opportunities and airplay has all the hallmarks of a classic single, this is without doubt the strongest track on the album and has a perfect combination of both passion and nonchalance that elevates it to a higher level.
Elsewhere on such pop-orientated songs as Mint and King James there is clear evidence that James Levy has an ear for both hooks and melody and off set against such bitter sweet lyrics that give it a slight twist and make this band a little different from the rest, and on the slow paced Your Demise it gives the band a chance to display another side,
Glorious may be an epic statement in principal but such ambition deserves our attention.
-SNAZ MUSIC
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On Glorious, Brooklyn crooner James Levy and his democratically-monikered band, Levy, have lovingly crafted an album of melodic, theatrical pop: A sound nestling comfortably between shiny-modern and sepia-tinted; on the cusp of Hoxton trendy and music your uncle dances idiotically to at a wedding.-Danny Payne BBC.CO.UK
"To me levy is the best band out of new york in years, and rotten love
was my favourite song of last year and probably this one too... " - Tim Wheeler, Ash
LEVY is the painstakingly crafted love child of James Levy, an architect of modern New York City mythology whose mark on the world of pop music is merely beginning to be felt. Their new album, Glorious, will be released later this year by One Little Indian to audiences in the UK while they continue to seek a U.S. release. LEVY’s first album, 2005’s murmur pop masterpiece Rotten Love, continues to be one of my favorite albums. How wonderful, then, that James and co. have exited the recording studio with not merely a single new CD but a double CD highlighting both the songs of LEVY the band and James’s alter-ego, YVEL. Where LEVY’s tightly-knitted jangling pop anthems give you reason to dance away your heartbreak, YVEL mines James’s gift for storytelling via a Leonard Cohen-esque figure full of longing and yearning. This album is one of my most loved and most anticipated releases of 2007. -loudersoft 2007
"Ultimately, Levy, the band sounds like a collection of pop songs, but the lyrics themselves harbor a history of deception, heartbreak, death, confusion and betrayal, reflecting the boy-to-man status that the band seems to have achieved collectively, during their time in New York. The album, at times, is a hearty challenge, so I suppose it's fitting that my first meeting with the band was slightly challenging. But it is gratifying getting through to the core of their incredible duality of a seemingly simple pop band weighted down with a history of pain. That's why Levy is so great. Every time you come back to the record, you get another layer of the story. And I have a feeling that this is just the beginning." - Christen Thomas, Sup Magazine
Hey sorry I missed the benefit show when you were in town. Had a calculus exam the next day. Hope it went well. Good seeing you though. Let me know next time you're in the city.
Thanks for the add! I have been listening to the new songs posted on Myspace (they're great!). LEVY's gig in Eindhoven remains one of my favourite concerts so far. :)
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