MUSIC REVIEW - GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - THE LION THE BEAST THE BEAT

What the holy heck happened to Grace Potter?  This ain't the rockin' blues powerhouse set we saw her doing a couple of years back, jumping between Hammond organ and Flying V.  This is, gosh, 80's rock at times, right down to the synth and drum sounds, Prince and The Motels and whoever else.  No Joplin comparisons this time out, she's cooing instead of belting.

Now, don't get me wrong, some of this is quite fine, such as the sultry Parachute, a mid-tempo groove with a great vocal.  Timekeeper is a slow-burn ballad, with some guts in the chorus, and a fine lyric about drummer lust.  But Stars is overdone, and might as well be a failed Journey number.  I keep waiting for some funky, loose workout like Paris (Ooh La La) but everything here is tight, stylized, and produced rather than spontaneous.  Live, the song Turntable would have a lot of power, but with its precise beat, it's virtually disco here, and I say that in the old, late 70's, "disco sucks" spirit.

Actually, I can hear all this stuff as good concert material, because it does still have her fire, and it certainly has a groove.  I don't think it's a try at more commercial success either.  I just believe its over-the-top production went over the line.  Also, it's one of the worst album covers ever.