Artist: The Idle Rich

Artist: The Idle Rich

Link: https://www.facebook.com/IdleRich

On Brain Devour, the propulsive garage rock of the Idle Rich conjures the savagery of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, well, Savages. Look no further than standout tracks, “I'm Already Dead” and “Man Like Me,” and behold the blistering garage-blues vocal of Holly Winters, who approaches Grace Slick and Karen O (that is, of Fever to Tell-vintage) with her fierce power and charisma. Be it pulsing waves of distortion or simply a naked bassline, the song structures shape-shift to showcase Winters' visceral howl.

But there's a second female lead fronting Brain Devour's other half – and it's this, Jenn Spitler's unassailably punk vocal, that adds a whole new dimension to the Idle Rich. Recalling The Scream-era Siouxsie and the Banshees, check Spitler's sing-songy warning, “Leave / Me alone / Get the fuck / Away from me,” a shot chased by the lyric establishing her punk rock bona fides of a life that's been lived in, “I don't want this complicated / Mass of shit that's human love” (“Insignificant”). And this is to say nothing of Spitler's considerable gift for melody: “Bury me / In flowers, please” (1:32 of “Flowers Please”); “[Wait now for the] blow” (1:18 of “Brain Devour”); “Oh dawn / It laughs at me” (1:55 of “Next Sunset”).

So pick your poison. It's Holly or Jenn. 'Cause either way, it's the Idle Rich.

*** The author of this review, Larry Wright, plays the bongo drums for the following band: http://youtu.be/tMS73-1kCr8