The Detroit Cobras

Baby – (Bloodshot)

To write off The Detroit Cobras by thinking that they’re “just a cover band” wouldn’t only be selling the band short, but would deprive yourself of a pretty damn serious music lesson.

What The Detroit Cobras do is demonstrate the longevity behind what is simply a damn good song.  Translated into their own garage style with Rachel Nagy’s bad-girl vocals front and centre, our heroes simultaneously pay tribute to and take ownership of rock ‘n’ soul classics.  They actually inspire one to seek out original takes of their good-time song choices and, man, they’re great choices.  I mean, who in their right mind would argue against Hank Ballard and Bobby Womack songs yielding a wealth of rewards?

This is clearly music that means the world to Nagy, partner-in-crime/guitarist Mary Ramirez, and kindred spirits guitarist Steve Nawara, bassist Joe Mazzola, and drummer Kenny Tudrick.  This isn’t merely an exercise in diversion (“hey, wouldn’t it be fun to do a track for the [fill in the blank] tribute CD?”), as the band channel the spirit behind Betty Harris’ definitive reading of Allen Toussaint’s “Mean Man” and slow dance alongside the Irma Thomas classic “It’s Raining” (sidenote: credited as written by Naomi Neville, actually a pen name for, yep, Toussaint).

The Detroit Cobras’ tough guitars and crashing cymbals account for their “sound” all over Baby, along with Rachel Nagy who continues the show her uncanny ability to exhibit as much soul as the artists she’s paying tribute to.  No shit. We very willingly want to oblige when she sings “Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand” and know that we’re in for a challenge in keeping up with “Everybody’s Going Wild”. 

When you put it all together, a couple of things become pretty clear regarding Baby.  One, it’s a whole lot of fun (get a load of the lone original here, “Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)” hysterically loaded with more double entendres than you might think possible – I mean, the title says it all).  Two, and this is the greatest value in Baby, it demonstrates that so many sentiments in rock and roll’s past are present in today’s more meandering musings.  Yep, going on about lost love by Boo-Hoo-I’m-So-Alone flavours of the month can’t say it better than “Now You’re Gone”.

Bloodshot, the band’s new home, has chosen to augment Baby by adding the band’s UK-only Seven Easy Pieces EP to it, making this a 20-song workout.  Play it at your next party.  Twice.