It's no wonder
The Blackout sounds familiar. Not only does
Speedball Baby revel in the basic elements of rockabilly and blues-punk much like
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion does, but two
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion members play on this album.
Jon Spencer and Judah Bauer are credited for having written the best songs, too: "Wanna Scratch It?" and "Do the Blackout," respectively. Their playing is energetic with plenty of hollerin' and background noises, much like the tracks found on early
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion releases, favoring
Orange.
Speedball Baby's carefully contrived collaborative third release also features
Boss Hog's
Cristina Martinez singing backup on the
Charlie Feathers-ish send-up "The Diddler," which is obviously influenced by beat poet
William S. Burroughs' lyrical monotone. Other contributors include the often-suited avant-garde
James Chance of
James Chance & the Contortions playing saxophone and the under-utilized Mick Collins singing "Cash Cow" -- he was also a guest on their 2000 record,
Uptight. The who's who lineup of famed New York City and Detroit-based musicians helps
The Blackout be elegant, powerful, and engaging throughout, with the end result treading familiar territory, but there are enough surprises to keep things interesting. ~ Lisa LeeKing