Jon Spencer Expands the Blues With Instrumental Skill, Rock Stylings

Plastic Fang
Four Stars

The wilder, sleazier version of Elvis has re-entered the building.

Jon Spencer evokes the King in many ways on his eighth record.

His breathy singing is filled with confidence, and he is just as charismatic a frontman. His music exudes the same sexuality and sublimity that characterized the sounds of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other early rock 'n' roll icons.

While he and his Blues Explosion will never reach the type of legendary and mythic status Elvis built for himself, the band has never failed to bring out the true spirit of rock that accompanied Presley and the pioneers that came before him.

None of that spirit is lost on the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's new album, Plastic Fang, even though it is more refined than the group's past releases. Such efforts as 1994's Orange and 1996's Now I Got Worry were marked with spontaneous bursts of riff-laden rock, punk energy and noise.

On Plastic Fang, the band focuses more on the structure of its songs and, in the process, steps a little closer to the mainstream.

Thankfully, this rock has merely been polished a little -- it still has all of its edge.

In most cases, the songs quickly lock into a terrific and fluid groove and maintain the flawless funk throughout the album's 12 tracks.

Numbers such as "She Said" and "Hold On" grab hold of the listener with cool, invigorating hooks and refuse to let go.

Due to this instrumental skill, the band has kept getting better over the years. Russell Simins bangs out beats that manage to jump out even when the raging guitars dominate the mix.

Spencer and fellow axe-man Judah Bauer -- the band does its dirty work without the help of a bassist -- exchange competent, compelling licks that would bring a smile to the face of any old bluesman.

This reaction would be unexpected. Always drawing upon its punk background, the Blues Explosion has never before truly touched upon the "blues" in its name.

"Down in the Beast" on Plastic Fang is about the closest that the band has ever come to playing traditional blues, and even it has a ferocity that is atypical of the standard style.

Nevertheless, the tune suggests an increase in studio work and a thoughtfulness that surpasses anything the band has put into the improvisational workouts of its previous albums. With its heartbeat-like rhythm and lumbering guitar riffs, the song is just one of many examples of the band's smooth and natural evolution.

Spencer has come a long way since the 1980s heyday of his group Pussy Galore, full of noisy punks who tended to tick off more than rock people.

Of course, the new album has its own flaws.

The singer's lyrics unfortunately continue to be nothing to write home about. The record also isn't exactly a marvel of consistency, as some tunes don't stick as well as others.

But Plastic Fang is still a leap ahead of the group's previous work in terms of musicianship and accessibility. It's ultimately a satisfying effort, making it a sure sign of progression for a band that has been known to polarize the opinions of folks in the past.

Perhaps the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion doesn't explode with the same unpredictable force that it once boasted.

But with its new album, the band is able to keep the flames burning a little while longer.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.