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Covers bands are a staple source of income for many gigging musicians, a way to keep the wolves from the door whilst buying a little time to work on their own music. Hence they’re usually a means rather than an end, and so it’s a little strange to find a band that trades almost exclusively on covers sitting on the roster at Rough Trade records. So what’s so special about The Detroit Cobras? After all this is a market where every two bit pub band has a compilation CD to sell. Apparently the Cobras are far more than your average covers band, bringing their own unique twist to old staples and lost classics. And cashing in on a cola ad with single ‘Cha Cha Twist’ to boot.Singer Rachel Nagy is the true selling point here, mixing heavy duty sass with delicate soul on lost classics like ‘Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand’. The gospel blues of ‘I Wanna Holler (But The Town’s Too Small)’ beats the dirt track beautifully, and thanks to an excellent vocal display is closer to Dusty Springfield than the Soggy Bottom Boys. Original composition ‘Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)’ is a catchy piece of throwaway 60s pop daftness, and the deft descending hooks in ‘Mean Man’ conjure images of beautiful Carnaby Street dolly birds. However there is filler here such as the overly average ‘Slippin’ Around’, and the poor take on the Supremes that is ‘Weak Spot’.
The Detroit Cobras are a first rate rock, gospel and soul covers band, and perhaps deserve credit for bringing these lost nuggets to a new audience. But weighing in at just over a slender half hour, an album of covers such as this needs something special to give the record buying public a good reason to part with its hard earned cash. Vocalist Rachel Nagy is very nearly that reason, but without similar performances from the rest of her band this is essentially a staid although highly professional collection.
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