When
Charlie Faye
recorded her first album with
the Fayettes
, she didn't necessarily have a girl group in mind: the songs she wrote inspired her to form a trio with
BettySoo
and
Akina Adderley
. Now that
have one album under their belts,
Faye
has a better idea of what the group can do, and that's evident from their second album, 2019's
The Whole Shebang
. Its very title suggests something clever and splashy, and
don't skimp on that front. Filled with bright, buoyant songs that deliberately evoke the hopping days before
the Beatles
,
is delivered with gusto and a knowing wink.
Charlie Faye & the Fayettes
recognize their audience may be in on whatever jokes they throw their way, but everybody involved with
is making (and listening to) this music from a place of great affection: there is no irony here, just groovy good vibes. There are plenty of good songs, too. On the whole,
isn't as stylistically diverse as its predecessor -- the group wait until the end to unleash the smoldering Southern soul of "Riding High" and the go-go dancearama of "You Gotta Give It Up (Party Song)" -- but that speaks to
's confidence with
. With this second album, she knows precisely what she wants from her neo-girl group, and she wants to get as close to the source as possible without seeming like merely a throwback; it has to be lively, not a museum piece.
succeed in making
a swinging party that is simultaneously familiar and fresh and wholly fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine