Pearlene - Pearlene

Pearlene kicks off its debut record with a nasty, loud cover of Mississippi Fred Mcdowell's "Burying Ground," replete with howling vocals, staticy guitars, and trash-can drums. It gives you a pretty good idea where the album is headed: the same punk-blues territory covered by bands from The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to The White Stripes. There is not a whole lot of originality on display, but there is a lot of energy and dirt and competence. Tracks like "In the Beginning" and "Number 8 Highway" sound like the band know their Hound Dog Taylor records pretty well with their frenzied tempos and filthy guitars. Read More