Released on 24 March, ‘Gaslighter’, the new album by duo Tipsy In Chelsea, taps into the sound of The Carpenters and Burt Bacharach.
Although they live at opposite ends of the country, composer and songwriter Dean Falcone, from New Haven, Connecticut, and singer Trish Thompson, in Atlanta, Georgia, banded together when a mutual friend of theirs died.
Dean says,
“I grew up with him, and he moved to Atlanta where he would often perform with Trish. When he passed on, Trish reached out to me to play a tribute for him in Atlanta.”
The pair found they had many musical influences, namely an affinity for the music of the 60s and 60s, and easy listening, and this is reflected in the music of Tipsy In Chelsea, whose sound is a mix of lounge, and bossanova. The seven-track EP calls to mind the 60s, with Thompson perfectly channeling the pure vocals of Karen Carpenter, while at the same time embodying them with a more modern twist, akin to that of “breathy” singers such as Lana Del Rey.
The title for the EP came about as a combination of Falcone’s bad memory and annoying Trish [A gaslighter manipulates someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity and is the title of a 1944 film, directed by George Cukor and starring Ingrid Bergman]:
“…She would often call me a gaslighter. I think we both loved that movie and it just felt like the proper title.”
“Our working relationship can be tough because of the long distance thing, but it’s also very gratifying,” says Thompson. “You can work when you are inspired and are not locked into a regular schedule.” She laughs. “It makes it hard to get sick of each other.”
‘Gaslighter’ is a gorgeous album with our highlights (and this was a hard choice given all the songs are beautiful) were the two covers – ‘Day After Day’, by Badfinger, and a stunning rendition of Phil Seymour’s ‘Precious To Me’. It’s clear the duo are extremely familiar with these two tracks, which adds to the strength of their execution.
‘Gaslighter’ is available on iTunes. Check out Tipsy In Chelsea online on their official website, Twitter, and Facebook.
