Grace Potter and the Summer Singles

Leave it to attractive female vocalists to put out fun, just-in-time for summer records. With your Swifts, Perrys, Feists and others busy banking off their previous albums, Grace Potter, with her trusty band The Nocturnals, is kicking off her shoes and laying down some serious hot-weather tunes. The Lion The Beast The Beat shouldn’t leave your side this season.

The opening title track kicks off with warm, hard toms, leading into a heavy, driving rock riff; picture a Metric tune meets Joan Jett—with maybe a little Pat Benatar.

“Parachute Heart” and “Turntable” are hot dance singles ready to happen. On the surface, these two tracks seem like radio-heavy pop throwaways, which they easily could be, but in fact offer a lot more. The production on both songs suggests seeing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals live is the way to go for the full effect. Pounding kicks, jangly tambourines, wailing guitars and a hot frontwoman always makes for a great show. Potter has the chops to match the face. She’s rock star material, and that’s all there is to it.

That’s not to say The Lion The Beast The Beast isn’t without its faults. To maintain a rock-goddess persona, while staying radio-friendly, requires a couple face melters here and there. Some of the only female crooners who were able to do it (and do it well) were Janis Joplin and Dusty Springfield. Potter does have it in her, though. Possibly some inspiration (hopefully, not Joplin-type tragedy) in her past can leak into her tracks in the future.