And You Were a Crow

With the behemoth sounds of bands like White Stripes, Wolfmother and Black Mountain slowly rising from the indie rock realm, showing emo-rockers and pop-punkers how to turn their amps to eleven, the time seems ripe for a Billboard chart revolt: the new/old sounds of blues-based power chord riffage and rumbling bass lines are gaining momentum like a Jimi Hendrix fret run. Vocalist Mark Melicia has all the power of a young Robert Plant or a throatier Geddy Lee, and the band has certainly studied the great Led Zeppelin in detail — the texture of the album from beginning to end recalls many of Zeppelin’s finest moments. The Mob also borrow from Black Sabbath-styled guitar layering and the bellbottom-heavy blues riffs perfected by the likes of Humble Pie and Ten Years After so long ago. Head bangers will love the speedy pulse of “Dead Wrong” and “Carnival Crows,” and air guitar aficionados will perfect their moves to the deep boogie of “Hard Times,” and the chewy hooks of “The Kids.” The sinewy, provocative “Everything You’re Breathing For,” the “Dazed and Confused”-inspired blues of “Tide of Tears,” and the whispery, stripped-down “Angry Young Girl” smartly give the collection breathing room and texture. A top notch debut.