As always with female fronted bands, the comparisons have come fast and thick, with critics likening Kali Holloway to everyone from
Patti Smith to
Poly Styrene,
Debbie Harry to
Ronnie Spector. But why stop there when you can add a youthful
Siouxsie Sioux and
Fay Fife to the mix, both of whom more accurately reflect Holloway's vocal style.
The Affair certainly musically reflect each of these band's own obsessions to boot, both
the Rezillos giddy love of '60s pop and
the Banshees juttering, anarchic, post-punk sensibilities. "Red and White," for example, would have fit perfectly on
The Scream and beautifully echoes
the Banshees proto-goth sound, while "Honey" is the best song
the Rezillos never wrote. Still, the Affair are more keyboard driven than either of these bands, which is where
Blondie comes into the picture. And certainly numbers like "Fashion Victim" and "Andy" instantly recall the New Yorker's earliest records. But what to make then of the tinge of
Ramones that bops around the guitars, the jagged post-punk rhythms that power so many of their songs, or the crash/bash simplicity of
the White Stripes that feed the feel of this whole set? Onscreen it just looks confused, on one's stereo or iPod it all swirls together perfectly, as the band meld all their influences into big, bouncy, ebulliently infectious pop songs. Cut with sharp lyrics -- some firmly tongue in cheek, others deadly serious -- and delivered with passion, power, and panache in varying amounts, this is an
Affair to be reckoned with. ~ Jo-Ann Greene