Chicago babes Whitney are back after almost a year after the release of their stunning debut album ‘Light Upon the Lake’, releasing a new single ahead of the band’s upcoming world tour.
The new single, which is to be released on vinyl, features covers of Lion’s ‘You’ve Got a Woman’ and Dolly Parton’s ‘Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)’.
In a previous statement about Lion’s ‘You’ve Got a Woman’, lead singer/drummer Julien Ehrlich said “it’s quite evil-sounding for us. It was fun to mess around with something darker and throw strings in.”
If the band’s debut album was marked by its optimistic yet nostalgic post-breakup vibes, ‘You’ve Got a Woman’ sees the band explore their more sultry side. It is a mature counterpart to their album, and its opening guitar line is a quickstep master class in seductivity. The backing vocals that reel ‘always on my mind’ create an almost hypnotic sense to the song, capturing this obsessive craving in love.
‘Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can’, conversely sees the band’s more emotional side makes an appearance. Ehrlich’s talent as a vocalist is put on full display, and Ehrlich’s inner Tim Buckley is realised as he whispers a final longing, wistful note in the song’s conclusion. The song is sang in the same range as Parton’s original, showing off Ehrlich’s impressive falsetto.
The band are not scared to cover their favourite tracks, having already covered Allen Toussaint’s ‘Southern Nights’ and last month releasing their cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You’, already a firm feature in their love sets.
The band is to embark on a massive world tour, which will see them be on the road from April up until August.
Whitney will be performing at Brudenell Social Club on the 20th June.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEbzvJm7-Bs
Juliette Rowsell
(Image: Static Flickr)