Quick Hitters:: The Secretaries ft. the Brassholes

When you take a quick glance at the old-timey photos that adorn the inside of the debut eponymous disc from Edmonton’s The Secretaries, you kind of expect that the nine songs that are included will be heavy on picking, banjo, folk and tunes crafted for the earth tones of Fall or perfectly tailored for sharply dressed patrons of 1940’s gin joints.

Instead, you get hit with crunching riffs and a swagger you normally associate with matching denim jackets/jeans and devil horns, but The Secretaries do this with a feminine touch. The kick drum stomp of Hey Girl is softened with a playful cowbell, killer horns courtesy of The Brassholes and spot on harmonies do the same on Woman, Woman. Even more surprising is the effortless transition to pop on tracks like Accident, where the vocals that accompany the crunch are almost folky (dare I say they deliver a Joni-esque chorus) and reveal a fragility that most “chick rockers” try so hard to cover up.

They still have a hard edge – Maya and Becky of the Pack AD would approve of the bluesy sludge Makin’ Me Pay and feedback heavy Sold Out of Love/Fuck Dirt City show these women can crank it up and rock with the best of them (you just start nodding faster an faster when they start ripping on Fuck Dirt City) - they just have more tricks up their sleeves (or under their dresses). Even the seven minute slow burner benefits from horn crescendos that give your ear something else other than the expected powerful vocals and heavy guitar noodles.

They also do a good job of lightening the listen after those 14-minutes of heaviness, letting the double vocals, horn blasts and catchy-as-hell riffage of Tattoo and the insanity of the grunts, growls and nonsensical chorus of MFNDNTN (Dead of the Night) crank the energy back up for a finishing kick that Usain Bolt could be proud of.

The Secretaries are local favorites, but over the years they've had had their ups and downs. They've lost members, lost steam and desire but never lost heart, and this record is overflowing with just that. Bottom line, The Secretaries have put out a record that is fun, feminine but still can rock your face off. Basically the only question left is ... why aren't you downloading this record right now?

MP3:: The Secretaries - Accident
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/thesecretariesedmonton

Labels: Alberta, Canada, Edmonton, Music, The Secretaries