In terms of concepts, Death Valley Girls one is pretty much perfect. Spiritual heirs to The Ronettes, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas and The Manson Family they claim their inheritance with no little glee with debut album Under the Spell of Joy, (just out).
A howling banshee fronted combo, pumping out wonderfully tuneful Death Garage Anthems with fierce abando, nthe band are utterly in charge from the off. Fronted by the wonderfully named and delightfully tonsilled Bonnie Bloomgarden. She's some parts Exene, some parts Lydia Lynch, some Kat Bjelland, some Courtney Love, some Brix Smith some Hope Sandoval, but who has clearly pledged her allegiance to the Church of Pop rather than selling out to Goth gloom and turpitude.
The antecedents to what Death Valley Girls are doing are immediately apparent but they manage to both honour the past and live in the present, so strong are the actually songs here. Some further reference points. Spector, Beach Boys, Stooges, (some glorious sax squalls here), Punk, Banshees, Cramps, B52's those listed above. Plus their own invention and intention.
It's all channeled to glorious effect. Just loving this on first listen and I'll be back for more. It's a riotous, trashy and wonderfully assured record, full of energy and sass. Clearly an audition to be house band for Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in America. If so they pass with flying colours.
Eleven tracks here. Not one of them sounds a false note. I've given you six. Seek out the rest. This time last year I was in thrall to Mystery Lights Too Much Tension. This is comparably great. Rattling its chains and howling at the moon to similarly thrilling effect. Death Valley Girls. The light is theirs.
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