Get Gone

Album review

A lot of folks who like garage rock also dig vintage soul and R&B, but putting them together hasn't always worked out so well. For every band like the Detroit Cobras or the BellRays that came close to making the formula work, there have been fistfuls who've failed to find common ground between the two genres. However, some folks in Shreveport, Louisiana have finally cracked the code, and working under the name the Seratones, they've made an album that rocks hard but with plenty of real-deal soul. Released in 2016, Get Gone is the Seratones' first album, but this band plays with the assurance of an act that's been plying its trade for years. Lead singer A.J. Haynes can belt with the emotive power of a veteran soul diva and the take-no-mess attitude of a rock & roll queen, while guitarist Connor Davis knows how to play riffs that merge lean 'n' mean rock & roll with classic blues figures. The rhythm section of bassist Adam Davis and drummer Jesse Gabriel hits hard, but with the right amount of swing, and together this band hits the sweet spot between solid stomp and sinewy groove. With Jimbo Mathus behind the controls, the Seratones have managed to make their music stick in the studio, capturing a sound that befits a packed, sweaty club on a Saturday night but with just enough precision to catch all the details. Get Gone roars but with just the right dash of honey, and the Seratones' loosely taut attack speaks of confidence and talent but also a great sense of fun and a heartfelt devotion to the rhythm. Get Gone is a very special dose of rock and soul, and one of the most purely enjoyable debuts of 2016.

© Mark Deming /TiVo