Barrence Whitfield and the Savages
Dig Thy Savage Soul
Bloodshot Records
Good god almighty, this is IT!
I’m late to the Barrence Whitfield train – he’s been a legend in the Boston area for years – but one spin of Dig Thy Savage Soul and I was hooked! Whitfield, along with the penultimate garage/rockabilly guitarist Peter Greenberg (DMZ, The Lyres), has made one of the most high energy, butt shakin’, punky-soul-garage-rock records in recent memory with their new release. Whitfield’s growling vocals are the equal of Greenberg’s pedal to the metal guitar and the surging sax of Tom Quartull. The 12-cut CD doesn’t let up for a minute, from the opener “The Corner Man” to the Yardbirds-inspired “Hangman’s Token.” This is sweaty, dance till you fall down raucous stuff that I imagine could tear your head off live. Even when they slow the tempo down on “I’m Sad About It,” it provides no rest, with Whitfield doing his best James Brown over squalling horns and relentless drums.
This record makes ya wanna drink. And I mean that in a good way!
Bloodshot Records: http://bloodshotrecords.com
