Were it not for their ultra-playful take on classic blues, the male/female Brooklyn duo The Naked Heroes would be just another hipster rock outfit playing jangly fashion jams to rooms full of self-impressed creative professionals. In short, they’d be intolerable. As it is, however, The Naked Heroes are a good bit of fun. Their guitar-and-drums-only ethic gives them a rawness that the production of their first album, 99 Diamond (Drug Front Records, free download available through Powerload), only enhances, and while I’m still pretty sure I’m nowhere near cool enough to be granted entry into whatever Brooklyn bar they’re playing this or any other Friday night, I get the sense from the album that what they do they do with love and from a sincere place. That goes a long way.

Vocalist/guitarist George Michael Jackson affects a gruff throatiness in his delivery on the opening title track, which relies on a call and gang response to kick off the album in both enjoyable and memorable fashion. There is some straightforward riff rock to be had in the form of “Sheila” or “Opposable Thumb,” or maybe even “Foxy Moxy,” which reminds me of Nebula’s early and bluesiest moments. Some bass would really do well to thicken out these songs, but maybe the kids these days are afraid of low end. I don’t know. In any case, The Naked Heroes do well with what they have, drummer/vocalist Merica Lee backing Jackson’s riffs and singing with simple but effective beats that only underscores the bluesy feel of the tracks. On a song like “Double Chin,” her switch from soft to hard ride cymbal hits winds up making the difference in the track.

“Under the Hood” is a CD-only bonus track and not out of line with the rest of the album (it appears just after “Opposable Thumb” marks the halfway point), with Jackson’s voice matching the notes of his lead lines until about 1:45 in, when the song turns, however briefly, into one of 99 Diamond tastiest grooves. It’s worth noting the longest track on the 29-minute long album is the opener at 3:55 and that the next closest is 30 seconds shorter. “Under the Hood” is the shortest at 2:09, so that should give you some idea. The Naked Heroes are working with a tight, classic songwriting formula, and they’re good at injecting some personality into it. Honestly, if these songs were six or seven minutes a pop, they’d probably feel bogged down or bloated. As it is, The Naked Heroes are leaving their audience wanting more in the classic sense, and it works for them.

Listening to Jackson bust out a classic Hendrixian lead at the beginning “Foxy Moxy,” I’m not sure I’d call all of 99 Diamond simple, but there is something rudimentary and basic about these 11 tracks that speaks to a primal appeal, something animalistic. If you’ve found yourself dug into the whiteboy bluesy hard rock of the early to mid-‘70s of late, The Naked Heroes might be a suitable update to what you’re grooving on, since as much as they have obvious style to offer, there’s substance and ability to back it up. The bluesier the better from this duo, and I was glad to hear “The Goonhand” close out 99 Diamond with its loose strings and tambourine/bass drum interplay. Live, I imagine handclaps for the first half of the song before the guitars and drums really kick in. The album is going to test the patience of some who hear it, because damn that’s hip, but a close inspection of 99 Diamond reveals an album that’s just looking for a good time, maybe wants to make out a little, and a band who despite being short a bassist throw down some serious classic preaching that’s bound to win them a strong congregation of converts. Dig.

The Naked Heroes’ website

Drug Front Records

Tags: Brooklyn, Drug Front, New York, The Naked Heroes

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 11:40 am and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.