If the names Garnet Mimms, the Flirtations and the Cookies mean something to you, then you’re probably a fellow vinyl bin digger like the Detroit Cobras. For their second Bloodshot disc, they refine their rock ‘n’ soul archaeology without becoming refined themselves; they’re still uncovering little-known gems and injecting them with a blast of punky garage rock.
On their opening salvo “As Long As I Have You”, the Cobras sound like the Pretenders trapped in the Brill Building. Singer Rachel Nagy sings with a fierce growl; she’s particularly menacing on a rave-up rendition of “Leave My Kitten Alone”. While she flashes a softer side on soulful laments such as “Try Love” and “The Hurt’s All Gone”, the Cobras are most compelling when they rev up. They put a twangy spin on Lead Belly’s “On A Monday” while turning “Green Light” by the Equals (Eddy Grant’s early ska group) into a fuzzed-out guitar rocker.
Nagy’s chief Cobra comrade Mary Ramirez dishes out sharp, gritty guitar riffs that perfectly suit the band’s punchy sound. The Cobras don’t try to reinvent the past, like their fellow retro-looking Detroit rockers the White Stripes; they simply share their love for vintage rock, soul and R&B in a rough-edged but joyous way.