The Love Me Nots’ Upsidedown Insideout LP is an organ-fueled garage rock study in desire. Every song revolves around wanting; wanting, being wanted, wanting to want.
Kurt Vonnegut once said that the key to writing a story was to make the protagonist want something right off the bat. The Love Me Nots would make him proud. You won’t find any meandering thought bubbles preceding the meat of the songs on Upsidedown Insideout. The energy present is pure and unadulterated. Far from innocent, but pure.
The word “desire” comes from the Latin for “heavenly body,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Who better to extol its virtues and lament its pitfalls than lead singer Nicole Laurenne? Her raven hair and “come-hither” demeanor make her impossible to ignore. And her siren’s song of a voice cuts a swath across the band’s songs like the archangel’s flaming sword.
Related note: Laurenne’s teasing stage presence is a marvel. If there was anyone at their Yucca Tap Room show recently that didn’t want to be her mic stand, next of kin should be notified.
Guitarist Michael Johnny Walker shows the signs of a truly professional musician. He obviously relishes the chance to shred on a solo, but he backs off without consternation when other members of the band are on center stage.
Add to these two a rhythm section as tight as a jackrabbit’s asshole, and you get a great album and a riveting live show.
I’d be remiss not to mention style when writing about the Love Me Nots. Suits for the guys, skirts for the ladies. All red and black. On stage, the band looks like a double date on the way to Desi Arnez’s club.
And they have the chops to make it all seem badass.
The Love Me Nots are not a band just for the stylish, however. Sure, there were plenty of people that made me feel underdressed, but the punks were there, too. And the soccer moms. And some trucker-type that told me a story about his family members dying off while I tried to smoke a cigarette (I’m still bitter).
The Love Me Nots will kick your ass. You’ll not only love it, but you’ll beg for an encore.
