Pearlene: For Western Violence And Brief Sensuality

Now that the neo-garage craze has died down, is it time for a little neo-boogie? Cincinnati blooze band Pearlene resembles the hip-shaking sound of Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones and early Joe Cocker, though Pearlene plays darker and heavier, and covers nearly every song on its third album, For Western Violence And Brief Sensuality, in a thick, druggy haze. Epic workouts like "Watch The Way" and "High And Dangerous" take a low-to-the-ground approach, but the results are grandiose, as ominous organ and echoing guitars fill the room like a static charge. Pearlene strives to keep a vamp rolling as long as possible, and when it works up one as loose and raw as the album-opening "Hosannah," it feels like it could go for days.