Black Lightning

Look no further than the title of this fan-financed album to get a sense of its electrified sound. The onetime soul-rockers have switched around the emphasis to be rock-soul, with founder/guitarist Bob Vennum's six-string leading the hard-edged assault. There are still softer, more melodic moments, in particular on the string and background vocal-enhanced "Sun Comes Down," but the majority of the short (just over 30 minute), concise set is dominated by his rugged guitars and, of course, lead singer/frontwoman/co-songwriter Lisa Kekaula's Tina Turner on steroids, flame-thrower vocals. It's a dynamite, somewhat old-school combination helped by the no-frills arrangements that keep all but one tune under four minutes, with another clocking in under two. Some of the band's garage Motown R&B sneaks through on the closing "The Way" and the slow-sizzling "Anymore," a reminder of how the quartet can dial down the volume without diluting the intensity. When the two merge, as on "Power to Burn," a singalong rocker as memorable as anything in their catalog, the combination is bone-rattling. Naysayers who complain that none of this is particularly unique to an act that has basically been mixing the same volatile brew since its early-'90s inception just need to push play, stand back, and allow the sheer authoritative power of the clean yet raw attack to abolish any thoughts that the approach is getting stale to either the group or its fans. Only the album's abbreviated playing time might be considered a detriment, but after 30 minutes of near breathless fist-in-your-face rocking, it's tough to imagine anyone would need more. If anyone does, there is a full back catalog of similarly impressive music from the BellRays to explore. ~ Hal Horowitz|