New York City’s The Chrome Cranks—avatars of dirty garage, art punk, and blues—reunite for their first album of new material since 1997, and it's with a sense of uncompromising glee. These rock vets (Bob Bert from Sonic Youth/Pussy Galore and Jerry Teel from The Honeymoon Killers, for starters) play loud, demanding hard-blues scuzz-rock with a humor that keeps things fresh and even fun. Singer/guitarist Peter Aaron sings with little regard for his throat, turning in prime performances on the blues trudge "Let it Ring," the autobahn-paced rock 'n' roll of "Black Garage Door," and the brutal slash ‘n’ burn of "50s French Movie." Unlike many art punks, Chrome Cranks never deny the power of catharsis or the glory of rock 'n' roll. The guitars grind out endearing riffs while the rhythm section pounds like it wants to singlehandedly make up for years of lost time. Recorded in three days, the Cranks' eighth album may just be their best album to date. If one needs proof that rock 'n' roll can still be vital in 2012, here it is.