The Detroit Cobras "Baby" 2004

This is, not to mince words, an unbelievably great, rootsy, garage-y record...Imagine the choicest, semi-obscure R&B chestnuts done up by a smokin' combo of some of Detroit's finest musicians, and sung by an incredibly hot, soulful frontwoman...has to be heard to be believed. And, the originals by the group are mighty tasty, too. - By Travis Dubya McGee BickleI first heard the The Detroit Cobras in the fall of 2005 during an NPR review of the year's 10 best albums. You know how it is...you know the good stuff when you hear it? Well, they had it. I found the album (Bloodshot Records), listened to the sample track, and ordered. Meanwhile, I learned a little about them.
Talk about colorful histories. Formed by guitarist Steve Shaw in 1995, the band emerged from the Detroit Garage Rock scene as the best cover band in the Midwest, specializing in Shaw's penchant for forgotten R&B classics. They wrote fresh, updated arrangements, and what do you know, Soul suddenly found a way to rock hard.
Shaw left the group, but the program stayed the same, reaching its peak with the third album, 2005's "Baby." For my money, it's the best retro-R&B album to ever hit the street.
It doesn't matter that the band is a literal revolving door of musicians, hardly ever the same from one performance to the next. The two mainstays, vocalist Rachel Nagy, and guitarist Maribel Restrepo, were the only constants, but Nagy alone would have been enough to carry things.
Once-upon-a-time an exotic dancer, she's right at home in dark, smoke-filled cafes. Her driven style penetrates to the core. She's edgy, loud, slutty, and hypnotic. This is a hard woman, strong, with voice to match. Grrr! I'd take her home in a heartbeat if I wasn't afraid she'd slap me around too much. For now, I'll settle for "Baby's" 20 vibrant tracks and keep them where they've been for the past three years: at the top of my play list. - By Arthur Tirrelltrax:
01 Slippin' Around 02 I Wanna Holler (But The Town's Too Small) 03 Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand 03 Weak Spot 04 Everybody's Going Wild 05 Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat) 06 Mean Man 07 Now You're Gone 08 It's Raining 09 Just Can't Please You 10 The Real Thing 11 Baby Help Me 12 Cha Cha Twist