Album review: Crushed Out, Want to Give

Crushed Out
Want to Give
Cool Clear Water Records

Due to trademark issues, the two-piece Brooklyn band formerly known as Boom Chick returns as Crushed Out. Now's an opportune time to change names, since they just released their debut album. On Want to Give, the duo of guitarist-singer Frank Hoier and drummer-vocalist Moselle Spiller uphold their romance with early American rock, filtered through the White Stripes lens. Despite Hoier's serious blues chops, this record owes less to Delta blues than their debut EP. Here, the rousing revivalist aperture is widened and centered on garage and rock & roll. What remains steadfast, however, is their stomp, rollick and burn.

Classic Crushed Out jams include the rock & roll shake of "Want to Give," the surf-licked blues-rock of "Temper Tantrum" and the White-Striped "Shake Can Well." Broadening their range are "Push Down & Twist" and the exceptional "Black & Purple," both nostalgic pop melodies jacked up with garage dust. Beyond this, songs like the moody, rockabilly gallop of "Miss Mouse" and the rustic strokes of "Firelight" reveal deepening emotional and musical tones in their expression.

Although Want to Give widens Crushed Out's prism, their high-quality hooks and songwriting remain sustained across genres. The essential spark of their primitivist, two-piece formula still thrills, but this LP is a look beyond the niche and an assured next-level work for the band.

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