The BellRays announce new album Black Lightning
aaamusic | On 02, Feb 2011
The BellRays strike back with new album ‘Black Lightning’
Californian garage rockers The BellRays return with ‘Black Lightning’ on February 28th, their first outing on Parisian label Fargo, and arguably their finest collection of songs to date. An irresistible fusion of crunching rock riffs, Stooges-go-Motown drumming, throbbing freight-train basslines, all soothed to retro perfection by the jaw droppingly assured voice of Lisa Kekaula.
Always a difficult band to define, The BellRays remain oddly out of time with their contemporaries, and yet this is their greatest asset; imagine Gladys Knight fronting The MC5; Aretha Franklin jamming with Black Flag.
Here is a band who have been on the cusp of great things for many years, call it mainstream success if you will, but they have all the while maintained a solid and admirably independent stance, never buckling under the hype. This firm footing is also clear and present in their musical output over the last decade; a compelling mix of head back, fist punching garage rock, gospel tinged songwriting and the incredible soul voice of Lisa Kekaula.
Black Lightning, ten blisteringly well-crafted pop songs squeezed into a 30-minute blast, catches you off guard with its elegant marriage of genres, twisting and turning effortlessly. It’s electrifying.
