Never Enough Notes e-zine // reviews + interviews + music

From Duffy on the radio, to my brother in the shower (doing his best Tom Jones!), many have tried to reproduce the 60s sound. White Label are a Scottish trio who aim to create a retro experience in their work. Their album “Stolen Voices” is a bootleg remix featuring rare or unreleased tracks and long-lost demos. The only elements used in the final arrangements are the original lead and backing vocals, plus stray bits of guitar.

White Label have moved from the wash-room to the recording studio and made a reasonable attempt with Stolen Voices but, although I admit they provide easy listening, I’m yet to be convinced they are worth a trip to see live. The question I ask is does the 60’s sound have to be “reproduced” in the first place? The Supremes, Diana Ross and Manfred Man had their time. It was good, even great, but why, in this new century try and imitate the past? I feel the true beauty of new music is to surprise the listener and evoke new emotions previously untouched by vintage recordings, in this capacity I felt that White Label fell somewhat short.

Their remix of 1968 Beatles have previously been surpassed by the Beatles themselves and their Bowie rendition left me yearning for the original. The musical talent and passion of White Label is obvious to hear and I admire their choice of lesser known recordings from “The Lady” and others, I look forward to the group maturing into their own distinct sound however until then I shall admit to be content to sit at home with a quality whisky and poor through my old records before venturing out into the cold landscape to seek White Label this Winter.

You can listen to the whole album and all it’s retroness right here:

Written by guest contributor Graham Green