by Tom Schulte
Often very much akin to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, especially in the vocal delivery, this group takes a more deconstructivist view toward their alt-soul material. That is, they go in for a less full sound with a more skeletal arrangement that allows space between one accentuating burst and another. Uptight is a loose and raw storybook album of decadence and discovery with lyric content that crosses Jim Thompson and J.D. Salinger for an outsider, urban noir.

It’s no wonder The Blackout sounds familiar. Not only does Speedball Baby revel in the basic elements of rockabilly and blues-punk much like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion does, but two Jon Spencer Blues Explosion members play on this album. Jon Spencer and Judah Bauer are credited for having written the best songs, too: “Wanna Scratch It?” and “Do the Blackout,” respectively. Read the rest of this entry »