The New Lou Reeds - Screwed

Never judge a book by its cover: The New Lou Reeds sound very little like Lou Reed. Rather, they combine the quirkiness of Frank Zappa with the vocals of Les Claypool and the garage blues of the White Stripes. An acceptable substitute… Screwed by The New Lou Reeds is the first recording from this Cleveland-based trio. The album possesses a certain raw energy that stems from two distinct forces: First, the ardent desire to emulate the influences listed above. And second, the self-imposed need to create a soundtrack that characterizes the doldrums defining their hometown. All you need to do is read the newspaper clippings montage inside the CD booklet to understand their angst. Examples include, “Life for Cleveland kids harder than in other cities,” and “Growing up in the shadows of factories, children play ball next to former dumps and lead-contaminated soil.” Although the album seems a bit sophomoric in production, it is gritty in delivery nonetheless. Singer and lead guitarist Stephe DK carries the baton for most the album while drummer Tony Cross and bassist Nick Cross work hard just to keep up. “The Gutter” and “Leave Him for Me” reek of The White Stripes while “Stranded in Ashland” and “Teenage Metalhead” are solid Les Claypool clones. “Hometown Heroes” is the most traditional rock n’ blues track on the album, and it’s also the closest resemblance to a Lou Reed work of art. Screwed is the typical first album by a band with some neat ideas but insufficient cash flow to refine their sound. Based on the quality of music on this album, the New Lou Reeds may have a future after all. That’s more than I can say for most bands. [www.thenewloureeds.com]