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Husband & Wife - Proud Flesh (XRA)

Husband & Wife - Proud Flesh (Crossroads)
17 January 2011

When last I heard this Bloomington, IN four-piece, I was falling in swoon with “Haven’t Got a Friend,” the hallmark of 2009’s consistent third LP Dark Dark Woods . In retrospect, both that stellar track and the LP in general have stood up to my references to Idaho (in particular), and to a lesser extent, Red House Painters, Low, Wheat, and granddaddies American Music Club. But how pleasantly big a surprise to find that they’ve kept that challenging, moody guitar rock base, yet totally overhauled the formula, pumping up the volume into a five times heavier, louder, denser, more pulsating framework! Amazingly, on the majority of aggressive tracks, they even veer into Sugar/Dinosaur Jr./Sebadoh/Jeremy Enigk/Versus/Glide territory (see the pummeling, exhilarating, Ride/Swervedriver-esque thrill ride, “Extendo Jam” and the humming “Low Profile,” Bryant Fox ’s bass so down and dirty rapid-fire, he conjures a punk rock John Entwistle. Likewise, they pump up the drums on the distinctive glammy rock waltz title track, while making the guitars shimmer, burn and slash anew. Yet they still diverge from simple chords or progressions song after song—some of the leads are positively insane, rather than standard as well—that it’s still quintessentially H&W. Basically, guitarists Mike Adams and Tim Felton have taken off the kid gloves this time, forsaking Dark’s more settled tones for pyrotechnic playing that’s as complex as it is invigorating. Meanwhile, the unsung rhythm section of mean ‘n’ nasty, booming Fox and powerhouse drummer (and fellow XRA label guy) Will Rose has the chops to both hold the band down into a hard ‘n’ tight foundation, while also finding post-punk rhythmic seams to plunder. Finally, the last, crucial piece, the songwriting alights on hooks above all the noise and ensemble cohesion, as the imploring Adams sounds like The House of Love’s Guy Chadwick, soaring to the stratosphere while the guitars dance and play. With every release, these regrettably overlooked greats prove their bona fides, and Proud is often an awe-inspiring work. If they were from Brooklyn, would they be mega by now? It’s a fair bet. (http://XRArecords.com)