Pervs Capture Production and Cadence of Glam '70s

George Smith

published: April 12, 2005

Louis XIV are, probably unintentionally, to Ziggy Stardust (the singer has the cadence nailed) and Marc Bolan what the Rutles are/were to the Beatles. That's not necessarily bad, either: The appeal of The Best Little Secrets Are Kept lies almost completely in the production, which nicely mimics the timbre of Tony Visconti-ville circa '71-'74. That was a sound worth imitating, and Louis XIV's aim is close to perfect—so much so they probably recorded the bass guitar on the edge of the tape, just like their idol. But if Visconti were an adviser, he would have told them that Ziggy always had a lead guitarist at the recording session and Bolan was born to boogie. Not much on Secrets is catchy, either. But feet can be stamped to a few numbers, and if you don't smile and laugh at "Illegal Tender," you're just too young and dour. One heckuva try; let's hope they stick with it.

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Louis XIV play the Bowery Ballroom April 26.