NME Reviews

Lewis, Jeffrey : The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song

Alongside The Moldy Peaches, Jeffrey Lewis is part of the New York's 'anti-folk' scene...

Alongside The Moldy Peaches, Jeffrey Lewis is part of the New York's 'anti-folk' scene and this single is oral history in every way. Recorded on two chords so lo-fi you can hear passing traffic, Lewis tells a story of walking up 23rd Street past the Chelsea Hotel, listening to a conversation behind him: "She was trying to describe a song I knew well/Leonard Cohen's song about the Chelsea Hotel/And I smiled a smile to myself when she said/It's the song where he talks about someone giving him head..." Next thing you know, he's turned round to join in.




It's a little love story about random connections and missed chances - "If I was Leonard Cohen or some songwriting master/I'd know you first get the oral sex then write the song after" - but most of all, it's about the way rock'n'roll rubs right up against everyday life. Lovely. Victoria Segal

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