ALBUM REVIEW: Charlie Faye & The Fanimals Deliver Pop-Soul Fun for Families
Henry Carrigan
Posted On July 19, 2023
Drop this record on the player and let your backbone slip to these exuberant party tunes that soulful Charlie Faye and her band, The Fanimals, deliver with affection and merriment. Backed by the soaring harmonies of her former Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley, Faye’s shimmering vocals create a just-right sonic space for kids and their grown-ups that conveys the playfulness and pop-soul atmosphere of Charlie Faye & The Fanimals.
The frolicking “7 Days of Fun” opens the album. A lilting flute line darts in and out of swirling B3 and piano with Faye’s vocals floating over them. Imagine Jackie DeShannon and Lesley Gore joining forces to sing a counting song, and you have “7 Days of Fun.” It’s also a song worthy of the opening sequence of the old television show Where the Action Is, and it sets the playful, rocking tone for the rest of the album.
Charlie Faye and her daughter (photo by Eryn Brooke)
“Milo Wears a Tutu,” which features a child who knows what he wants — to “wear a tutu if he wants to” — and won’t let others steer his choices, strides along a Motown vibe, while “Snack Time” borrows a sonic vibe from Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with nods to favorite snacks.
Imagine if The Cowsills and The Partridge Family met up with Sly and the Family Stone and Elvis to record a song at Stax and you have “Me & My Family,” a youngster’s tribute to her family and the love she feels in it.
Faye & The Fanimals twist and shout on “Get Down,” their version of “The Twist.” The album rollicks off with the sparkling pop song “Octopus Gets Dressed,” a playful look at what it takes to encourage a child to get dressed every morning.
Charlie Faye & The Fanimals deserve a spot on Sesame Street, where they count down “7 Days of Fun” with the Count or dance and sing along with Cookie Monster to “Snack Time. Charlie Faye & The Fanimals is dance and party music for the entire family, and children and parents will be humming many of these songs long after the album’s finished playing.
Charlie Faye & The Fanimals is out July 21 on Daydream Believer Records.
