Levy - Rotten Love

James Levy didn’t start out wanting to have a band. He was actually already well known as a solo artist in The Village when he and guitarist Matt Siskin decided to give the group thing a go. From there, Levy – the band – took off. They gained notoriety around town and started opening up for notable bands like Athlete, Razorlight and the Zutons, which is fitting because James Levy’s vocals sound more British than American most of the time anyway. Even though they’ve been repeatedly compared to Coldplay, I think that’s a bit overblown. Vocally, they remind me more of a blend of Interpol and the aforementioned Athlete. There’s also something in James Levy’s voice that reminds me of Courtney Taylor-Taylor, frontman for the Dandy Warhols. Lyrically, they’re telling little stories, vignettes of life, love, the usual in The City - “She said, ‘I will take you home if you want to’ / But I got scared and couldn’t say yes / She went home with another boy instead” (“Matthew”). Sometimes that leads to some lyrics that seem too big for Levy’s – the singer’s – mouth. It can be a little awkward at times trying to fit so many words into a particular line. In terms of singles, Levy will surely hook you with the college radio-friendly title track “Rotten Love,” but they’ll keep you with quirky little numbers like “Sunday School.” I will definitely give the band credit for trying to do something musically interesting by not staying with safe tempos and chords. Although it doesn’t always work (“On the Dancefloor,” “Wednesday”), there are occasions where it is refreshingly noteworthy (“Rector Street”). I can hear some Replacements influence on “See Saw,” which is always appreciated. This is one of the edgier songs, and it works nicely until the abrupt end after a mere 1:49. C’mon guys…you know that’s not right. To me, Levy is very New York. They sound urban, a little gritty, a little tired of the rat race but still willing to run it cause that’s life. This album is a little snapshot of a funky little downtown neighborhood on a Saturday night, late, and trying to pull after last call. [www.LEVYtheband.com]