REVIEW: ON THE IN SIDE - The Soul Movers (Cool Time Records/Career) In which Deniz Tek and accomplice Lizzie Mack tap their '60s soul and beat group influences with unabashed enjoyment, shooting preconceptions like fish in a barrel. Flashback to the '60s. The sounds emanating from Michigan radio stations like CKLW, WKNR and WXYZ had just as much impact on young Ann Arborite Deniz Tek as the primal dissonance and bluster of the more often-cited Stooges and MC5. Not just the commercial Motown output, but also the rough 'n' greasy stuff coming from Stax in Memphis and local labels like Fortune. The soul influence might not have been overtly apparent by the time a relocated Tek cranked up the machine called Radio Birdman in his new homebase Australia, but more recently he's been a big fan of the way the Detroit Cobras rifled through their cupboards of obscure soul and garage singles to produce timeless and fun records. Perth-born Lizzie Mack's of the same mind so "On The IN Side" is their attempt to do the same, but with mostly original material. And there's a nary a flat spot on this journey through 12 great tunes, all but three of them Tek-Mack compositions. From the sublimely strident opener "Stickin' Around" (with whistling solo) to the playful rumble of closer "Krazy Kats", this is a heartfelt and fun trip. The "Piece O' Me" single on Munster was an appealing if not entirely representative taster for the rest of the album. That one shuffles up next to you and hums its message in your ear, where most of the rest of "On The IN Side" ("Hold Me" excepted) is moreup-tempo. This an album where the songs rule, and the playing is superb. Top of the pile is "Not With Her" where keyboardist Pip Hoyle plays the coolest game of tag with Tek's evocative guitar licks, but there's plenty more that goes close to matching it. For one, the sultry take on Carolyn Sullivan's 1967 "Dead" which emits wafts of smoke that a fire brigade couldn't douse via a bang-on tenor saxophone part - courtesy of Frank Bennett - and an aching Miss Mack vocal. Bennett adds the requisite spice to "Low And Slow" but it's the feel that nails this one, with Hothouse Studio honcho Craig Harnath laying down warm, fluid bass and ex Sparrows/Pictures member Brett Wolfenden pushing the beat on drums. Let's talk expectations: Don't expect ear-shattering solos, feedback or sharp-edged riffing from The Iceman. "On The IN Side" shows the clean and subtle side to his playing that's too often ignored. It'll confound the sh*t out of legions of Birdman fans - but that's life. Guests include Ron Peno on backing vocals and Tek's Visitors comrade Mark Sisto who takes the lead on "Gotta Run." Speaking of vocals, Miss Lizzie has delivered in spades. It's one thing to be in the audience, another entirely to be behind the microphone. She's got great range and confidence, plus there's a warm presence and soulful power in her voice that lives up to the promise of the songs. Needless to say, production via Harnath, Finn Keane and Tek at Melbourne's Hothouse Studios is first-class and the whole thing sounds suitably authentic. This album's a winner. Grab it through Citadel in Australia, Career in the USA. - The Barman The Soul Movers is a band borne of opportunity. For the first time in 30 years Australian guitarist Deniz Tek (and later keyboardist Pip Hoyle – both of Radio Birdman fame) had time to ‘fool around’ with the music that had been their passion them from the very start. Lizzie Mack, having performed years earlier with Pip around some Jazz traps in Sydney, came up with a bunch of songs, which tapped, into some classic soul themes: lost love, untrustworthy love and new beginnings. With Hothouse studios in St Kilda offering a slot to put down a first single The Soul Movers came to life almost overnight. “Our first single was put together over a weekend and then the album “On the IN side” was written, recorded and mastered in 17 days only a few months later. It all happened so fast we had to hang on for the ride” This provides a clue to the appeal of the Soul Movers music. With strong soul roots the band has managed to imbue their music with a fresh, unselfconscious approach to the classic soul themes, delivering music which speaks directly to personal experience and with a rockin’ rhythm that ‘any ole fool’ can dance to. “This could also be the Australian influence on these soul themes”, explains Lizzie. “Having had to seek out this style of music growing up, there were no real rules for the way I approached the writing process. Actually in relation to structure alone I believe we broke most of them”. “’Piece O Me’ set the standard and vein for a lot of the songs on the album. It has such a dark tint – for me anyway - as a song, and being the first to arrive and be recorded for the single, I was careful not to get too close to the space it fills with the other songs. Thankfully that expression of loss and longing came out so completely in ‘Piece O Me’ that I didn’t feel the need to revisit the theme again.” “When we set out to put the 12 songs together we wanted to take the listener on a ride through relationships; from the first kiss, to the blind, transportative passion of feeling like you can leap tall buildings to halting emotions like betrayal and suspicion and then the journey to the depths of despair when it all lies in ruins”. ‘Few Good Reasons’, ‘Hold Me’, ‘Not With Her’, (the cover) ‘Dead’ and ‘Change’ are the result. When it came to finding some covers that would mesh with the theme we threw the net fairly wide, looking for classics that hadn’t been covered to our knowledge. Sugar Pie De Santos ‘positive and personal’ feel really nailed it for us and she provided the bright red, uplifting feel our song palette was missing. ‘Carolyn Sullivan’s version of ‘Dead’ took us to a still, ‘Beat’ graveyard and who can go past Aretha. As a fellow Jazz singer Julie London had been a big inspiration to Lizzie who shares some similar tones and inflections in her voice. The Soul Movers have had the luxury of hiring various ‘top flite’ musicians around the world to promote their first album. Bassists Andy Newman, Craig Harnath and Bob Brown – all music veterans - join forces with drummers Calvin Welsh, Brett Wolfenden and Steve Brown and Keyboardists Ron Sanchez and Pip Hoyle offer the opportunity for the core combination of Deniz and Lizzie to spread their sound around. “It’s great getting to play with similarly minded musos we have used in other lineups and who all share a love of soul,” Deniz explains. The Soul Movers becomes a moveable feast in 2009 with shows in Australia, North America and Europe happening August through October. Visit: HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/thesoulmovers" www.myspace.com/thesoulmovers and HYPERLINK "http://www.thsoulmovers.com" www.thsoulmovers.com (coming soon) for details.