Play it by Ear

I planned on reviewing a different CD this week, but I make exceptions for genius.

New Bloods' "The Secret Life" is an absorbing and rich record. The female punk trio features bass, drums and violin, masterfully turning in 11 tight, ferocious songs that have single-handedly eroded my ambivalent disposition to punk.

There's something here that transcends punk music. There's head-scratching, but there's warmth, infectious grooves, and their frantic passion makes it all sound like something is very much at stake.

My earliest knee jerk comparison was to an organic, stripped-down version of Bloc Party - angular rhythms, no frills drumming and hypnotic vocal chants and harmonies. Repeated listens have changed my perspective. I've concluded that they sound like New Bloods.

And I am very fond of the New Bloods' sound - ultimately American roots music for the 21st Century.

"Oh, Deadly Nightshade!" creeps to sneaky plucked violin strings as the cryptic song moves from quiet to bombast. "What are things like underground? It's dark there - are you scared?" the trio harmonizes innocently before tearing off on a powerful tangent.

"Eyes" is the personal favorite on the collection, a dancy but meaningful two minutes that is strongly reminiscent of Gang of Four.

"Day After Day," though only five seconds under a minute, is a simple a capella track that will swim in the head for days. This leads directly into the understated "Cycle Song" that features a violin that sounds like it is literally breathing. "They say the truth will set you free/ Bondage is our destiny."

Most impressive of the New Bloods is the seeming ease of it all. While multi-million dollar recording acts spend millions of dollars and months in a recording studio, bands like the New Bloods go relatively ignored.

One thing I see in this collection that I don't find anywhere else is the ability to do so much with a little. No song is longer than three minutes, and in this confined environment they catch lightning in a bottle more often than not.

As the semester winds down, you owe it to yourself to take a night off and see these talented women in person. New Bloods are playing Saturday, April 26 at Charles Mansion and their debut, "The Secret Life," is worth a spot in your collection.

Grade: A+

jkerfeld@unews.com