Lonesome Spurs – Self-Titled

A minimalist duo whose music harkens back to the earliest rock ‘n’ roll, the Lonesome Spurs lean on rockabilly and country in the way that the White Stripes trend toward garage and blues. Guitarist Danny B. Harvey fingerpicks like Merle Travis; vocalist Lynda Kay Parker accompanies on tenor guitar and a kick drum fashioned from a Samsonite suitcase. Parker sings with the boldness of Wanda Jackson, the joie de vivre of Laurie Collins, and the melancholy of Patsy Cline. Harvey’s mesmerizing combination of rhythm and melody never lacks a drummer or a bassist, and though the songs transport you back to the ’50s, they’re neither copies nor imitations. Tough originals such as “Jack & Coke” and the pining blue “Lovesick” are supurb.