The Pack A.D. ÛÒ Do Not Engage (Nettwerk)
February 9, 2014
Another Run of the mill “blues-rock” duo
It seems that in recent years, any guitar/drums duo playing some form of raw rock music is inevitably compares to The White Stripes and The Black Keys and labeled as either garage rock, blues rock or blues-punk. Such is the case with The Pack A.D., an all female Canadian duo who plays a brand of heavily produced guitar rock music that only occasionally sound like a blues group (the kind of funny kind of creepy “Stalking is NormalÛ). Despite their seeming misclassification, The Pack A.D. manage to write some decent if not safe rock songs, the impassioned “Battering Ram” and wah-wah abusing “Animal” being highlights. In general, the riffs are enjoyable and the songwriting/lyrics are possible, but many of the vocals either lack personality or clash with the sound of the instruments, creating a sometimes-grating sound. Do Not Engage won’t blow your mind, but some of its better songs should make good playlist filler.
RIYL: The Von Bondies, The Kills, Blood Red Shoes
Recommended: 1-3, 5