Heavy Trash

On Going Way Out With Heavy Trash, Jon Spencer and Matt Verta Ray muddle things up, expanding upon the vision of their infectious debut. Spencer’s best work in the Blues Explosion was such a thrillingly incoherent pastiche of punk, soul, hip-hop and blues that the band were doomed to run out of breath and need a break. When Heavy Trash was released in 2005, it was a relief to hear Spencer exploring such a wonderfully rendered and focused sound. True, rockabilly is an amalgamation of styles but there’s something about that country/rock’n’roll feel that suits Spencer to a tee. Therefore, it’s somewhat disappointing to find Heavy Trash tweaking things and writing weirder songs. There’s great stuff here for sure, like the excellent "Outside Chance” and the rollicking "They Were Kings,” which features the Sadies, and near-ballads like "That Ain’t Right” and "She Baby” are nice enough. Jarring songs like "I Want Oblivion,” the JSBX-infused "Double Line” and the vivid "You Can’t Win” are just too postmodern though and seem out of place. God forbid that Heavy Trash should feel trapped within any genre but it’s their full-on exploration of rockabilly that makes them such a treat.