Singing into one mike, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, vocal-guitar pillars of Dixie power-pop icons the dB’s, cut through the bland sound at a recent New York show with the silver-blade harmonizing of their obvious idols Big Star and the Everly Brothers. On the fine Here and Now (Bar/None), Holsapple and Stamey give those sources fresh life with poignant writing (”Broken Record,” the title song) and bracing jangle (”Widescreen World”). Their great live cover that night of the 1968 Everlys B-side “Lord of the Manor” is not on the CD, but you get a warm return to the 1972 Family song “My Friend the Sun.”

[From Issue 1082-83, July 9-23, 2009]