MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: LINDSAY BEAVER - TOUGH AS LOVE

From the ashes of the much-loved 24th Street Wailers comes the debut from lead singer/drummer Lindsay Beaver. The Halifax native has now departed for Austin, and tapped into the rich roots there, resulting in this dramatic and sizzling set. It features a nasty '50's deep R'n'B vibe, along with a little bit rockabilly, and on opener You're Evil, some Howlin' Wolf, albeit with one truly raunchy guitar solo.

Beaver does much of the writing, along with some choice covers including Art Neville's Let's Rock. The Little Willie John number You Hurt Me proves a great showcase for her rich voice, and when she's not drumming too wildly, she can put tons of emotion into a deep blues like that. This album sees her signed to the esteemed Alligator label, and they've put a lot of faith in her, letting her produce this label debut herself, using her new band for most of the music.  Guitar player Brad Stivers proofs quite a weapon, with lots of strong Texas licks and a good-time duet vocal on Don't Be Afraid Of Love. Beaver has put her own vocals in '50's setting, with a bit of echo and a bit off-mic, the better to let her wail.

She has lots of room to show off her drumming as well, with many of the songs driving hard, including the blistering Oh Yeah, a punkish rockabilly number that comes in at under two minutes. She counters that with a cover of Angela Strehli's down and pitiful blues Lost Cause, another tune where Beaver connects sorrow with passionate vocals. It's hard to pick favourites here, as every track is a stand-out.