the pack A.D.: funeral mixtape

How important is the issue of gender when discussing The Pack A.D.? On the surface, their second album Funeral Mixtape is a relatively simple exercise in summation: a two-piece band – drums and electric guitar – playing competent, uncomplicated modern Delta blues. And yet The Pack A.D. is two women from Vancouver, personas that are, historically speaking, almost as far removed from blues as they can be. So, on paper, this is as postmodern and forward thinking as music gets.

Blues is a genre birthed from a struggle, one that has hardened roots in race, economic strife and prejudice. But blues has evolved, almost turned on itself, and become more synonymous with whatever it is we call the mainstream – that is, amalgamated with other styles, less political. From the first instance of plugging in, all the way to Jack White’s copious bastardizations (his only saving grace is Loretta Lynn), blues lost its soul. Somehow, thankfully, The Pack A.D. found a piece of it along the way.

Funeral Mixtape is derivative and ordinary, but better because of it. Vocalist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller are far from virtuosic. Their melodies, song structures and arrangements are average, co-opted mélanges into old-time blues, done up with the help of an amp and some vitriol. But hell, these girls try hard, and it shows. ‘Don’t Have To’ is a dirty romp borrowed from the back catalogue of the North Mississippi Allstars, while both ‘Shiny Things’ and ‘Underground’, whilst owing a fair amount to Koko Taylor and Bessie Smith at times, showcase a duo wearing a convicted, depraved and sullen heart on their sleeve. And through this, today’s blues shines.

And it’s all so anachronistic, ignorant of everything musically hip today. ‘Wolves & Wolves’ is so loud that Black rips her jeans while singing, while ‘Oh Be Joyful’ is genuine, a lament of sorts that honours Robert Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, rather than the usual modern blues lot that spits in their face. Nothing sounds new, but nothing is meant to. It’s simple electric blues for blues lovers. That’s it.

Now, is it more interesting that The Pack A.D. are two white, Canadian women wielding the blues, or is that point moot? Has the genre moved on to include everybody, or, more importantly, should it ever be inclined to do so? Alternatively, who cares, right? Funeral Mixtape is as close as one gets to recreating true electric blues. It is utterly raw, music written while coughing on sawdust by girls with true grit. Good job.

[Mint; September 8, 2008]

Written by: Shain Shapiro

Tags: funeral mixtape, the pack A.D.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 2:31 pm and is filed under albums & EPs, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.