Album Review: Deap Vally - Sistrionix

How much of a gap did The White Stripes' demise leave in the modern musical landscape? How you answer that question will likely colour how you hear Californian two-piece Deap Vally's debut record Sistrionix.

Opener End Of The World sets the album's tone and frames the band's ideals to a tee. This is throwback, blues punk rock and you're damned if you're not interested. The beauty of the two-piece band set-up is that it leaves nothing to hide. Without overdubs and session musicians, you can either turn the fuzz up to 11 to fill the spaces in between the drums and vocals, or pare it back and wear your minimalism proudly. Deap Vally follow both plans with gusto and style. Lindsey Troy's voice is pure Americana cheese – energetic, dripping with country twang and capable of belting out a blood curdling scream or two when it's needed. Her guitar approach is equal parts Jack White and bluesy Led Zeppelin – always fuzzy and overdriven, worshipping at the Pete Townsend altar of the power chord. Highlight Your Love is a great example of what the band can do when they embrace their pedals and really get loose.

At the end of the day, Sistrionix kicks most goals it sets itself. It's a damn fun, powerfully sexual and fuzzed out 40 minutes of blues punk rock'n'roll. It's also great to see a female duo kick out the jams so unapologetically without sickly label pressures to conform. Sistrionix won't change the world, but Black Keys, White Stripes, Blues Explosion and fuzzy rock fans could find a much worse reminder of how great this music still in 2013.