CMU Approved

Approved: Psychic Dancehall

By | Published on Monday 3 October 2011

Psychic Dancehall

Hitherto known by their (quite silly, really) pseudonyms, Dorian Wartime and Sylvia Innocent, non-platonic boy-girl pairing Psychic Dancehall are, in fact, Charles Rowell from noise pop outfit Crocodiles and Hollie Cook, daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul and The Slits’ most junior member. Having first met in 2006, the duo’s debut album ‘Dreamers’ came out last week.

Whilst in some parts – not least sluggish second song ‘A Love That Kills’ – Charles’ mutterings and his Crocodiles-y instrumentation touch on tedium, tucked away beneath the LP’s lax, lo-fi outer layers are some truly well-formed and appealing little fuzz-pop fragments. Hollie’s solo sung cover of The Crystals’ ‘He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss’ is very like something from Faris Badwan’s side project Cat’s Eyes, only less refined. It’s alive with the same dishevelled sense of romantic, old-world rapture also favoured by the likes of CMU favourites Dirty Beaches.

All in all, unexpectedly rewarding, intriguing and alluring stuff. Stream ‘Dreamers’, out now via Art Fag Recordings, in its entirety here:



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