Disco de The BellRays: “Grand Fury”

The most recent aural bombshell from the world's rock and soul poet laureates, the Bellrays. "Grand Fury" is just that - polished up a bit for the masses (it's recorded better than their debut "Let It Blast" yet still retains a garage punk sound) and sounds like a live jam recording in the studio (as if they could do anything less!!). As in their spectacular live performances, the whole experience is a wash of sweaty riff-heavy rock with amazing soulful vocals from Lisa Kekaula, who leads both band and audience through an initiation of Rock power. Songs don't always begin and end as much as fuse together in the heat of the raw performance, carrying the near-religious experience through peaks of fire and valleys of soothing soul.

A few songs seem to lack something (all but one are written by since departed guitarist Tony Fate) but all get the same passionate rendition as their few covers (seek out those vinyl singles, kids!!), something we could call the Bellrays' touch. (I would call it garage soul.) When the band backs off its charged wail, you can bet Lisa's vocals are still delivering the fire. (A co-worker just described this as Tina Turner singing for AC/DC, which gets half the point.) There's a lot going on here, as songs twist and turn down the path to glory as if all are wandering pilgrims, searching and testifying on the way. Onstage and on album, Lisa will ask you "Are You Ready??" and she expects an answer. This is serious stuff.

The Bellrays are always several steps ahead of each album release when they tour (Lisa's husband, Bob Vennum, plays bass here but has since taken up a mean lead guitar) and despite two lineup changes since this recording, continue to deliver - gaining a reputation as a shining star in today's corporate, user-friendly, and slowly dimming rock universe. And they're doing it their way, on their own terms and still on their own label. ('Here's another prayer from a place nobody wants to see' - "Fire On The Moon").

ARE YOU READY??

It's refreshing when a band lives up to the hype.