The continued codification and celebration of trashy garage rock -- however one wants to consider it -- means that the Chrome Cranks have gone from being one of many revivalists to their own kind of eminence grise over the years, probably much to their surprise. Following on a series of reunion shows featuring the lineup that called it quits in the late 1990s, the band's return to recorded work, Ain't No Lies in Blood, has the kind of full-bodied stomp and aggression that the 21st century seems to have brought to the fore in the field -- call it everything from better ease in recording to the kind of rhythmic wallop bands from the White Stripes to the Black Keys have made de rigueur (which drummer Bob Bert pretty well taught them by default). Whatever else is up, it still feels like a sticky, beer-stained club somewhere on the wrong side of the tracks, where there are aggressive snarls and sleaze aplenty, as the strutting shuffle of "Rubber Rat" readily shows. There's high speed, like "Broken-Hearted King," and then there's a ten-minute-long epic ender with "Lover of the Bayou," which puts in all the noise, explosiveness, and Stooges-style metallic riffing one could want and then some. Add in some snark, like the deep vocal moaning from Peter Aaron starting "Star to Star," which Birthday Party-era Nick Cave could appreciate all too easily, and everything's a real party. "Let It Ring" is probably the keeper from this one, a steady grind of a song that just keeps building up to a heck of a central chant and shout, pulling back to just vocals for a bit of drama and then crashing to a minute-long conclusion. Then again, the lyrics from "50s French Movie," from the point of view of an actor in said production, has its own bit of fun, given moments like "When do I take my clothes off?" ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		I'm Trash
2		Rubber Rat
3		Living/Dead
4		Star to Star
5		Broken-Hearted King
6		Let It Ring
7		Black Garage Door
8		50s French Movie
9		Lover of the Bayou

	Like us on Facebook
	@SoundHound	Follow