The Velveteers channel a dark glam flair on their first single in two years

Colorado trio The Velveteers released the mystifying, dangerously catchy single Charmer And The Snake earlier this month — with that gritty opening riff and serpent-like vocals from frontwoman Demi Demitro, it’s no wonder that I’ve already had this track on repeat for twenty minutes straight. 

The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Demi, along with dual drummers Jonny and Baby. They deliver a flavour profile of Marc Bolan with a hint of Poison Ivy of The Cramps here, in what appeared to me as femme-fronted babydoll glam.

The group’s earlier releases leaned into a darker flair, while their first single in two years invites us into a world of shiny, wicked pop — the bridge lures us into said wickedness with the narrator having the upper hand after all: 

“Look in my eyes / Hypnotize / Mesmerize me / You think you’re the charmer, but you’re really the snake.” 

These lines are further heightened toward the two-minute mark, having a build-up similar to that of a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds track with plentiful layered harmonies, right before sitting you right back down with that fantastic repeating guitar that kicked off the song in the first place. 

This track is one for when you’re just feeling alive during a solo dance session, a drive, cleaning the house — you name it. It’s simply a gem of a track, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who are a fan of that 1970s glam rock groove while keeping their foot in the door of the modern possibilities of rock ‘n’ roll. 

Charmer And The Snake is the lead single from The Velveteers’ debut LP ‘Nightmare Daydream’ which is set to be released via Easy Eye Sound on October 8th — and, notably, is produced by Grammy award winner Dan Auerbach.