My first review of the new year is of Lupo Cittá. Their new album, Lupo Cittá, is a trip through a noisy landscape. The players here -- Sarah Black, Chris Brokaw, and Jenn Gori -- have done time in other outfits, but teamed together here, they make a healthy racket.
"White Bracelet" revs up like mid-Eighties Sonic Youth, while the lugubrious "Onde" unravels nicely. Elsewhere, the excellent "Gallup to El Paso" manages to channel both Meat Puppets and Opal. The playing here is rarely flashy, with fans of Brokaw's work in Come likely finding this all pretty easy to embrace.
Alll that said, the power of Lupo Cittá is down largely to Jenn Gori's detached, yet forceful vocals on these tracks. When there's real heft behind her voice, like on "Machine Operator" or the lurching "Only in Love", this trio really finds gold. As rough as many things on their home label, Lupo Cittá is a record that deserves a careful listen, and fan affection.
Lupo Cittá by Lupo Cittá is out now via 12XU Records.
[Photo: Tim Bugbee]