Detroit Cobras August 17, 2007

Crawling out from the weed-choked lots of the once proud town, The Detroit Cobras whip out ass-shaking anthems to good times, wild times, and the highs and lows of L-U-V; you best believe it and you best not mess with it. Singer Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez are the bad girls by the exit doors at the school dance, all leather and heels, sneaking smokes and passing the flask. They have no time for dewy-eyed love songs or girl group decorum; they'll take care of business themselves with a bat of the eye or an elbow to the kidney. Rachel's "warm as the bourbon under the seat of your car" voice can boom to the back pews (Did we say "pews?" We meant "barstools") and Mary's riffs let you know that love and good times can be found in the tilt of a hip or at the end of a fist.

With "Tied And True," their first new record in three years, the Cobras practically done created a new genre all for themselves, delivering the sonic goods to back up some seriously supernatural soulful vocal gifts. Stretching out in the studio like never before, and including contributions from top line players like Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound) the Cobras have created a versatile and formidable wall of Spector sound (is that timpani you’re hearing here and there? Yer goddam right it is). Be it eerie or orchestral, or pure rock and roll rough up, "Tied and True" puts the Cobras on a whole new level—of many sources but a genus all its own.