The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause

Rootsy garage rock plus cheerful irreverence equals big fun

It takes nerve to cover a Kinks classic and make it your own, but Atlanta’s Anna Kramer meets the challenge with audacity to spare on her terrific second album, belting out “Got My Feet on the Ground” with the same defiant exuberance Dave Davies displayed more than four decades ago. That unsinkable spirit also informs her bracing originals, which employ everything from smoldering power-trio noise (“When You See Him”) to spiffy Bo Diddley beats (“Da Da Rock”) and a spooky banjo/organ tandem (“Death Comes Knocking at My Door”). Supported by bassist Shannon Mulvaney (Magnapop) and drummer Adam Renshaw (The Forty-Fives), Kramer is a charismatic yet down-to-earth bandleader whose clear, forthright voice and concise guitar playing rely more on taste and finesse than pure power. While Kramer may well go on to weightier achievements, she couldn’t be much more engaging than she is here.