Boss Hog: Whiteout : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On their third album, Boss Hog remain as savage as the band that once named an EP Drinkin', Lechin' and Lyin'. But now they're a little more careful, teaming up with veteran producers such as Andy Gill and Tore Johansson. The New York band, led by Cristina Martinez and her husband, Blues Explosion founder Jon Spencer, continues to delve into the deserted heart of Southern roots music, now adding a resonant tightness and punk finesse. The result is less dramatic than X, more considered than the Gun Club and without the clear insanity of the Cramps. In these well-done - if treble-mad - mixes, Martinez's chalky voice obsesses on "Nursery Rhyme," chills on "Stereolight" and, for "Get It While You Wait," almost warbles like Debbie Harry. At times, as on a hard-ass showpiece like "Jaguar," Boss Hog flirt with the electronic. Even when they're glued to the sonic details of rickety Dixie pop, though, they favor friction over flow. The best groove on the album is called "Itchy and Scratchy." The title is exactly right for Boss Hog. (RS 835)

JAMES HUNTER