Starting with their debut Mink, Rat or Rabbit (Sympathy for the Record Industry) in 1998, the Motor City’s Detroit Cobras have made a name for themselves by reinterpreting obscure 50s and 60s R&B tunes.
Filtering their classic sounds through a dirty lens, they amplify the edginess and sexiness embedded in the music that often becomes understated in a modern context of “golden oldies” compilations and reruns of Happy Days. Despite having broken the long standing indie-rock cover band taboo, they’ve largely been embraced for their energy and originality.
And though some worry that, after over a decade of churning out other people’s music, they’ve turned into little more than a really good live karaoke band, they’ve allayed any worries with their newest effort, Tied and True. Contributions from retro rocker extraordinaire Greg Cartwright (The Reinging Sound, The Oblivions) bring certain boldness to tracks like the emphatic, dark version of “As Long as I Have You,” a love ballad once sappily performed by Elvis Presley.
Singer Rachel Nagy’s voice is deep and seductive; the ultimate rock ’n’ roll femme fatale shines through on “(If You Don’t Think) You Better Change.” (Although it would have been interesting to hear a dirtier take on tracks like Dusty Springfield’s “The Hurt’s All Gone.”) A string of similarly slow- tempo songs in the middle of the record create a slight energy lull, but they pick it up again with a rockabilly rendition of Leadbelly’s “On A Monday,” and finish off the record with a garage rock flair on “Green Light.”
Way too much fun to overanalyze, The Detroit Cobras still serve as a reminder of how this particular type of music revolutionized not only pop culture but the entire world.
– Jamie Ludwig
The Detroit Cobras (Bloodshot Records)