On the Lips

by Molly Lewis

Overview

In popular music, whistling is often employed as a quirky ornament or brief interlude, rarely given as much real estate as the voice. It's an innate instrument most of us can wield to some degree, though few devote themselves very deeply to its craft. Not so with Molly Lewis, an Australian-American artist whose lips provide the primary focus of her music. A virtuosic whistler and composer of lush jazzy songs that revisit the tropical kitsch of mid-century exotica, Lewis makes music that is both soft and lightly psychedelic. Prior to signing with Midwestern indie Jagjaguwar, she whistled competitively, worked as a session whistler, and hosted her own Los Angeles residency show, Café Molly, which drew an odd cadre of celebrities from John C. Reilly to Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. The uniqueness of her instrument and a fascination with old Hollywood glamour has attracted interesting clients, many of them in the fashion world; Lewis has made international appearances whistling for Chanel and Gucci, and can be heard during a key scene in the 2023 Barbie movie. On the Lips is her full-length debut and expands on the humid retro-lounge style of her two previous EPs. Eerie analog synths mingle with chirping organs, flute, percussion, and Lewis' own quietly plucked guitar parts. The set consists of eight originals along with her interpretations of the '60s standard "The Crying Game" and the '70s Spanish pop cut "Porque Te Vas." On the Lips is neither entirely instrumental nor entirely wordless; On the title cut, Lewis demurely offers a spoken preamble, introducing herself and her intention to whistle. A smattering of tasteful vocal lines pepper some of the arrangements, which feature guest spots from San Diego's Thee Sacred Souls and the Brooklyn funk outfit Menahan Street Band, among others. Breezy, elegant, a little campy, and at times noirish, On the Lips sounds like a lost island on the archipelago of Yma Sumac, the Moog Cookbook, and Angelo Badalamenti. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2024
Label:	JAGJAGUWAR
UPC:	0656605243924

Tracks

1. On the Lips
2. Lounge Lizard
3. Crushed Velvet
4. Slinky
5. Moon Tan
6. Silhouette
7. Porque Te Vas
8. Cocosette
9. Sonny
10. The Crying Game

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Molly Lewis   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Vibraslap
Marco Benevento   Piano
Homer Steinweiss   Drums
Michael Jerome Moore   Drums,Percussion
Alex Garcia   Drums
Nick Movshon   Bass
Leon Michels   Organ
Thomas Brenneck   Bass,Lyre,Organ,Piano,Clavinet,Keyboards,Mellotron,Tambourine,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar
Jake Sherman   Vocals
Stephane San Juan   Drums,Percussion
Will Schalda   Organ,Clavinet,Moog Synthesizer
Roger Manning   Bass,Organ,Guitar,Keyboards
Eric Hagstrom   Drums,Claves
Wayne Gordon   Guitar
Anant Pradhan   Sax (Tenor)
Chester Hansen   Bass
Nick Hakim   Piano
Leland Whitty   Saxophone
Abe Rounds   Drums
Paul Castelluzzo   Guitar
Gibi Dos Santos   Percussion
Joe Harrison   Bass,Flute,Guitar
Sal Samano   Bass

Technical Credits

Marco Benevento   Composer
Geoff Stephens   Composer
Jose Luis Perales   Composer
Homer Steinweiss   Composer
Alex Garcia   Composer
Leon Michels   Composer
Thomas Brenneck   Composer,Producer
Roger Manning   Composer
Miles Johnson   Art Direction
JJ Golden   Mastering
Chester Hansen   Composer
Simon Guzman   Engineer
Nicholas Movshon   Composer
Leland Whitty   Composer
Molly Lewis   Composer
Samuel Kristofski   Photography
Paul Castelluzzo   Composer
Joe Harrison   Composer
Julia Fletcher   Design
Sal Samano   Composer