ALBUM REVIEW: Fandabidozi – Bobbie Dazzle
BOBBIE DAZZLE has been a long time in the making. Coming from the multi-talented musical mind of Siân Greenaway (formerly of heavy rock/doom aficionados ALUNAH), the upbeat, energetic and glamorous project harkens back to the hey day of 1970s rock and pop. Inspired by seminal acts such as DAVID BOWIE, T.REX, THE SWEET and SUZI QUATRO, BOBBIE DAZZLE’s debut album Fandabidozi – the word “Fandabidozi” being a corruption of the word fantastic for those not familiar with English slang – is a fantastic rush of big riffs, massive hooks and a whole lot of 1970s nostalgia that makes you feel like you’ve been encased in a kaleidoscope and shaken until you can taste colours.
BOBBIE DAZZLE is a deeply personal endeavour for Greenaway; having grown up with parents that listened to glam and punk rock from both sides of the North Atlantic in the 1970s, Fandabidozi is the product of fulfilling musical ambitions that she has had from childhood. The album also features her father’s teenage lyrics on its opening track Lightning Fantasy. Perhaps the biggest influences for Greenaway are THE SWEET and SLADE, bands that didn’t take themselves too seriously but knew how to write seriously good riffs. Despite being a pseudonym, BOBBIE DAZZLE and Fandabidozi are distilled from the singer’s personality and live performances: upbeat, a bit silly and ultimately a fuzzy ball of positivity.
Fandabidozi is packed full of surprises and it keeps you on your toes in the most exhilarating way possible. Whether its the mad sci-fi sound effects, the dreamy proggy flute passages or the screaming keys parts, every time you listen through something new catches your ear. Its groove and fun vibe is infectious. At its core Fandabidozi is a feel-good album designed to lift spirits and break the shackles of the world’s negativity.
Across a ten-song romp through the very best riffs and melodies plundered from the 1970s, with Greenaway’s passion for this classic and vintage style of rock shining through in every song, it is impossible to feel sad when listening to tracks like Back To The City, It’s Electric and the aforementioned Lightning Fantasy. It makes you want to don the glam rock style – flared trousers, platforms, glitter, the lot – and dance away into the early hours of the morning.
Apart from the decadent glam aesthetic, the musicianship on show throughout is dazzling. With Greenaway hand-picking some of the best musicians in Birmingham to help make this dream a reality, the chemistry is tangible and the performances of each member are as near perfection as you can get. From the songs’ composition, arrangement and performance, it sounds like BOBBIE DAZZLE has been going for decades as it capitalises on that intimate knowledge of the genre that Greenaway has. Even the album’s production features the studio production tricks of the era, including double up vocals with a millisecond slap-back delay on one track which creates a weird, trippy and psychedelic effect. As a result, Fandabidozi is an emphatic album that has achieved what it set out to do.
The album opens up with Lightning Fantasy, a balls to the wall track that lets you know that BOBBIE DAZZLE has arrived in all her glory with powerful vocals and anthemic 1970s riffs. Merry-Go-Round is a spacey track that channels the ZIGGY STARDUST influences with trippy vocal melodies and sci-fi effects accompanied by dizzying guitar leads and a dreamy flute passage. Revolution harks back to T.REX’s Get It On as a call to arms to start the glam revolution; bluesy riffs and chants lift up your spirits and get your body moving with ease. Magic Of Music is more whimsical; looking to 1970s prog and 1960s pop as inspiration, it has a dreamlike quality that makes it feel like you’re living in the clouds.
Lead single Back To The City has a THIN LIZZY vibe, a rousing anthem with a catchy as hell chorus that will stay in your head for hours. It’s Electric ramps up the rock – much like Lightning Fantasy – relentlessly fast-paced with a screaming rock organ and chugged bluesy riffs. Antique Time Machine sounds like it has been plucked straight out of a rock opera with flamboyant choruses sung by everyone in the band and classic rock ’n’ roll grooves and piano. Lady On Fire is one of those vintage rock tracks full of sass and attitude that has you singing along as you come back for more. April Showers is a final all-out rock flourish before the album closes with the spacey and psychedelic Flowers On Mars.
Fandabidozi is a stunning debut and already has a timeless classic feel about it. BOBBIE DAZZLE has certainly made her presence known and is bringing the world a much needed dose of positivity, quickness and fun – a glam rock warrior that’s been sent down by ZIGGY himself to save us all!
Rating: 9/10
Fandabidozi is set for release on October 4th via Rise Above Records.
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