She Wore a Brass Necklace

On their self-titled debut, Pearls and Brass established their particular brand of bluesy stoner rock, carving out their own tiny niche. The album was tight, concise and full of originality, hinting on great things to come. Their potential is not only realized, but also exceeded in their sophomore release The Indian Tower.Possibly the most instantly identifiable characteristic of the Pearls and Brass sound is their disdain for straightforward timings and rhythms. Each song lurches from riff to riff, resulting in churning compositions with a dynamic sway that you can still stomp a foot to. The guitar twists and turns like a country road, while bass and drums rumble along, kicking up dust that conceals what lies just around the next bend.

The album leads off with “The Tower,” opening with quiet ambient chanting that builds into the first wallop of the song’s stuttering hook. After singer/guitarist Randy Huth belts out a few verses, the chanting returns, intertwining with the melody of the guitar and bass creating a truly haunting effect. Eerie backing howls add a similar feeling on “The Face of God” and the driving “Pray for Sound.” “Black Rock Man” starts off slightly slower and more subdued than the fiery riffs that kick off most songs, but Huth balances this during the chorus as he pushes his voice to its raw outer limits. Dispersed between the heavy-hitters are acoustic tracks embrace at their delta-blues influences.

The Indian Tower is an unconventional stoner rock album that will pound you flat, wrap around itself like cotton candy at a county fair only to melt in your mouth. Ah, sweet sweet goodness!