Knoxville Girls
' real genius is in their ability to reinterpret
country
music, transforming the musical style into something not only palatable but enjoyable to an audience that might not normally find it appealing. On
In a Paper Suit
, their second studio album,
the Girls
continue to mine their diverse musical backgrounds (
Pussy Galore
,
Chrome Cranks
Sonic Youth
Gun Club
), pulling elements from
punk
rockabilly
, Downtown art music, and classic
rock & roll
, and infusing them into a
framework. Their pastiche approach is at its most coherent and compelling on this album. The title track is quintessential
;
London
's keyboards and
Kid Congo
's masterful guitar lend an almost
avant-garde
flair to the simple melody at the core of the song.
Teel
's vocals are at times reminiscent of
the Big Bopper
's, but he runs the gamut from classic
(
"50 Feet High, 50 Feet Down"
) to just weird (
"Drop Dead Gorgeous"
). ~ Alex Zorn