Lulu Lewis is the NYC synth-pop duo of Dylan Hundley and Pablo Martin. They’ve released a pair of albums and a handful of EPs, singles, and remixes since joining forces and today they are premiering another track, “Sinner,” ahead of the summer edition of their Salon Lulu event series, which takes place this Sunday July 13 from 2-6pm at the club Berlin in Manhattan. There will be live performances by Liz Lamere and Lulu Lewis, Julia Gorton’s short film “Stacked Deck” and a hands-on boutique of locally made musical equipment named Gear Weird. “Sinner” is up to Lulu Lewis’ high electro-dance standard; check it out below, and if you’re local, do drop by Salon Lulu on Sunday. It’s sure to be a stone gas.
There is consistency in the sound of Lulu Lewis, but the music is solid enough in conception to allow room to branch out. Since formation, the duo (who often welcome guest contributors; for “Sinner” it’s Bruce Martin on bongos and bell) has offered a collection of dub remixes and a covers EP featuring songs by Roxy Music, John Cale, and Funkadelic, to name two offramps from the main stylistic freeway.
Courtesy of the opening synths, “Sinner” has a dark, tense cinematic edge; that is, it sounds like a pop song that was cut to accompany a film, in this case, a low-budget, high-energy action flick set on the streets of the old, dangerous NYC. The lyrics and Hundley’s vocal suggest a woman who has lost her faith (or never had it) and is out doing the dirty but necessary work of seeking justice and getting revenge.
We’re talking shades of Zoe Lund in Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 and even the great Gena Rowlands in her hubby John Cassavetes’ Gloria, but we’re deeper into the 1980s with shades of a Golan Globus-esque exploitation vibe. The song is a bold synth-pop affair, but with a subtle rock undercurrent from Martin’s guitars. Hundley sings like someone who landed an unexpected opportunity and is making the very best of it by giving her all. Retaining a bit of that dub flair in the song is a sweet touch. If “Sinners” did land on the soundtrack to an ’80s action film, the song would very likely be the best thing about it.
