Retro daredevils dust off rock ’n’ roll roots
Souped-up rockabilly duo Heavy Trash deftly restores and reinvigorates the primitive era of rock and blues on its third LP, offering tinny, gritty and gnarled throwback production that pays tribute to the golden days of greasers. The band is revved by a mixture of Jon Spencer’s raw vocal ravings and Matt Verta-Ray’s fervid guitar peals. Frenzies like “Gee, I Really Love You” and “Bumble Bee” illustrate Spencer’s droll disposition and sound like a collaboration between Buddy Holly and Mick Jagger. Spencer channels more rhythm than melody in his deliveries, the pinnacle being “The Pill,” a trippy narrative where the dragging lines serve as a ball and chain to Midnight’s otherwise brisk progression.