Reviews for ‘Fiction, Half-Truths & Downright Lies’
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Perry’s exquisite voice is the killer here: it blends the dynamism of Wanda Jackson with Norah Jones’ effortless cool. All round, it’s quite an achievement.
4/5 - Uncut Magazine
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The Billets Doux’s unerring musical sense has resulted in this fine-cut and multi-facetted diamond of a debut album. It’s seductive intelligent listening.
5/5 - Venue Magazine
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Smokey yet intimate, tuneful and packed with emotion, you can understand exactly why this group is hotly tipped to become huge. This is a wonderful album, warm and joyful, which draws from a wide range of influences and yet combines them to create a seamless feel. It will be fascinating to see where this band go from here, but on this evidence it would be tragic if it was anywhere other than up.
98% - Big Distraction
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All the elements of a great album are present here – strong material, solid performances, great vocals and a sense of excitement and fun. It’s definitely a notable contrast in this day and age of over-digitized pro-tooled junk that gets passed off as music nowadays.
7/10 - RetroBlog
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The band bridges the gap between the soulful rock tunes of the sixties, mixed with modern pop song structures and graceful vocals. Fiction, Half-Truths and Downright Lies has enough range to maintain its initial spark throughout the album and enough heartfelt sincerity that the music sounds like a night out to dinner and dancing with a loved one. The album is definitely a must-have for fans of adult contemporary blues and jazz.
Fazer Magazine
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Every element within the arrangement is naturally conceived and feels just right in its place. The album’s ten tracks range over so much music that’s both seriously vintage and seriously timeless. This is a classy and stylish record.
Net Rhythms
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There are no frills here, just gigging musicians who’ve decided to capture their set on record. Genres are flitted between with effortless ease, so we skip merrily from skiffle tinged rockabilly through latin jazz, Fairport-esque folk, occasionally pausing to sing the blues. It is quite incredible to find that the band have only been together since a first gig in a smoky west country venue back in 2006.
The Music Fix
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This debut album is filled with the kind of music you want to hear in small halls where the audience has the decency to shut up and listen to the music. Polly and the Billets Doux are not about the latest fads and in-the-studio wizardry, but about expanding the songbook of standards.
Polly, just wanted to say I thought you and the band were fantastic at the tower last night, what a lovely voice you have! I thought the flowers were wonderful haha do you bring them to every gig you play? Hope to see you again sooon :) xx
Hey guys, just thought I'd swing by and check if you're playing soon, and not only do I note you're playing Brighton, but Glastonbury too! See you at both.
