Dublin-born Imelda May is a bit of a retro lass. It's reflected in her look, her press photos and cover art, but more than anything, it's reflected in the actual sound of Love Tattoo, which is essentially a fusion of rockabilly and jazz performed with her five-piece band. She first came to my attention when I saw her on the main stage at the Cornbury Festival in Oxfordshire in July, where I first heard several of the songs here.The songs that really caught my attention then, like 'Love Tattoo' itself and 'Johnny Got a Boom Boom', sound just as good here. Unsurprisingly, the live performance relied largely on the rockabilly side of the Imelda May repertoire, whereas this album features such songs alongside ballads ('Falling In Love With You Again', 'Meet You At The Moon'). The old-time feel pervades throughout the album, regardless of the style adopted - and that's something that will either enthrall or be a turn-off depending on your tastes. The piano playing in particular is very retro indeed, on songs like 'Smotherin' Me', and the start of May's rendition of the much-rearranged 'Wild About My Lovin''. This sense of the old-fashioned is the dominant characteristic of her sound - were it not for the quality of the production, you might be fooled into thinking that this album was recorded decades ago. May's voice, fortunately, fits in perfectly with this aesthetic, capable both of aggressive yelping and sexier smoothness.There's a lot to like about this cocktail - sophisticated, tasteful but a little formulaic as it is. 'Feel Me' may irritate a little with its amazingly uninventive drumming, but aside from that it's got a lot going for it - coruscating guitar solo, and a chorus that suits May's voice perfectly. 'Smotherin' Me' is a lot of fun, with simple but classy lyrics and more of that lovely retro piano work. Unfortunately some of these songs, especially the less lively ones, lack a certain something, a certain substance, making their old-fashioned feel sound (incorrectly) like a hollow gimmick. Love Tattoo is good in parts, but isn't consistently entertaining or convincing. 58%Imelda May on MySpace