Pearls And Brass
Pearls And Brass

A measured march, a drum set beaten as if its pieces were the rims of an old and dusty Ford, a song torn from the best gospel tradition, and a 10-dollar slide guitar equipped with only four strings that attacks like Skip James would with a tube amplifier.
The opening of "Spinning Wheel Blues" is one that leaves a mark and forces an immediate 'repeat': and it's just the beginning. The second track ("Highway Sermon") claws into the stereo speakers with the explicit intent of blowing up Sun Records with a mix of explosive powders made from homemade elements: a very personal proto-hard-boogie-soul. If you're already on board and haven't spent your time relistening to the first two tracks of the album, know that there are eight more wonderful solar spots waiting for you. Feedback, overflowing and sticky riffs (try to imagine Eric Clapton in a formation with the early Sabbath), choirs à la Grand Funk Railroad, and so much soul to give 'harmonium' to everything.

Fiercely energetic, solar-powered, Hendrixian to the core; that's who Pearls And Brass are.
This fabulous trio from Nazareth (Pennsylvania) moves with the same "new attitude" to blues as contemporary Black Keys, but with much more imagination and above all with the addition of a mighty bass that is an authentic dispenser of warm frequencies and good vibes.
And this is a scorching and beautiful album, full of naturally electric - or electrically natural - guitars that spring from the dirty notes of Robert Johnson and weave the parching in the vocal cords of Blind Lemon Jefferson; the hard weight of Blind Faith combined with the bold ability to modernize the blues with new, all-original sound mixes. Sometimes they exceed and mark the limit on Blue Cheer ("Stone Leaves"), then accelerate with convulsive rhythmic patterns where they seem to be reborn Cream ("Train Lady Blue") that reinterpret King Crimson's repertoire (devastating "The Greenest Grey"). I find their deconstruction of the hard-rock-blues musical stereotype that intertwines lurching trends with complex riffs and shattering transitions that are never trivial or predictable simply ingenious. Ideas, impeccable mood, and above all, taste.

One of the most successful debuts I've ever heard from a group of musicians to keep an eye on: in case another solar eclipse occurs.