Hulafrau

CD - Viva Hulafrau
I was loath to open this album, as it comes lovingly packaged with its own wax seal but needs must and into my computer's CD drive it goes. Online CD databases can be funny buggers, but they're dead on this time, labelling Hulafrau as ‘general unclassifiable.’ They've only missed off the words ‘and fun’. This self-produced ten track LP is pretty off the wall, at times sounding like a flamboyant Soft Cell and at others sounding like a New Rave band. They are definitely ‘80s influenced and their lyrical inspirations are down to earth and very English. You have to have some confidence in your sound to get away with repeatedly singing ‘birds, booze, Airfix models, flying goggles, Vauxhall Vivas!’ in a song about a rental car ('Vauxhall Viva') or make a song about laying carpets sound like a metaphor for failed relationships ('Underlay'). It sounds like they have their tongues firmly in their cheeks and don't take themselves too seriously, and neither should you, but if it's fun electro-pop you're after this is strangely wonderful. It's a real mishmash of musical styles from ambient to out and out banging rave tunes with brass instruments, but believe it or not, it works and it's good to hear a new band so happy to experiment and not merely settle for producing variations on the same song or sound ten times. So perhaps the real surprise is that Hulafrau have taken these different sounds and actually pulled off producing an entertainingly brilliant album that can't fail to enchant.

Neal Addison – Sandman Magazine

LIVE
Trash, Leeds, 2007
If the team leaders in the office where I work decided to form a band, that band would be Hulafrau. The audience, myself included, warms to them slowly, but the genius of three chubby, bookish men reproducing the best bits of the Human League and Eurythmics soon dawns on us all. This band combines genuinely ingenious pop with wry social satire and a stage presence straight from Butlins. The singer (and probable IT consultant) delivers winning choruses such as "Hulagirls/ just wanna be famous/ hulaboys/ just look at your trainers". This band are a triumph for the absurd, for novelty over blandness, fun over pomposity, and garish purple blazers over any normal sense of decency. Hulafrau are available now for weddings and divorce settlements.
Richard Morris

Snooty Fox, Wakefield
Hulafrau begin their cheerful set with an amusing song about carpets, and i am won over already. As soon as they take to the stage they have all eyes on them, and front man Nick 'Firenza' Copland has the onstage charisma you'dfind in Harry hill performing a stand up routine. The local trio consistently manage to keep us entertained with their 80s electro sound and humerous lyrics. Impressive was the way they managed tofit in different sounds such as the trombone instrumental, and keyboard effects thanks to Simon 'Bone' Wood in Vauxhall Viva. The band appeared to enjoy the gig as much as us and didn't take themselves seriously. Think Madness meets Star Trek, with a hint of Chemical Brothers and you are pretty much spot on. A thoroughly enjoyable set.
Chris Arlotte
- Sandman Magazine