The Debutante Hour's Follow Me Has It Covered

I’ve already gushed about New York’s cabaret acoustic act The Debutante Hour, a cross between the Roches, Tiger Lillies, and your deep, dirty subconscious.

The trio had me at the word “zombies” on their debut LP The Birth and Death of Meaning, which was a journey through dark, pressing life questions, like “where do zombies belong on the dead/alive scale?” and “how can I avoid being an a$$hole all the time?” and “is the devil really in my hand sanitizer?” The brilliant, honest, meandering lyrics are set to flawless harmonies, accordions, guitars, cellos, pianos, and other vaudeville fare (like funny dances — watch their original “The Nancy Kerrigan Shuffle” and try not to smile.)

After hearing their new EP Follow Me, my crush on The Debutante Hour is officially bordering on creepy. Hide your kids. Hide your moms.

The six-track cover EP ranges from TLC to Flaming Lips to Ukrainian-language reggae to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. At first I was bummed by the lack of original lyrics, but when they invited  local talent TK Wonder to rap Left-Eye style  in “No Scrubs,” I realized they couldn’t drop the intellectual charm if they tried.

The EP is a chance for The Debutante Hour to put their musical talents front and center. The covers are spot-on homages piled onto an Americana brush beat and orchestrals. The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” has accordion on that famous synth riff, with a lovely banjo exit.  The real stars though, are the ladies’ stunning vocal harmonies, which drive all the tracks into impressive lilting territory. Who knew that beautiful a’capella breaks and slides belonged in “Do You Realize?” all along.