Is That Clear EP

iTunes Review

Nick Waterhouse’s vintage fashion sense is impeccable, as is his ear for authentic ‘60’s R&B, his chosen musical idiom which seems to flow effortlessly from his bluesy bark and twangy, fuzz-drenched guitar. The music is muscular and sexy, likely nurtured by several years spent in a San Francisco record store specializing in 45rpm vinyl. While a bevy of current artists are evoking classic-soul icons from James Brown to Al Green and Smokey Robinson (Sharon Jones, Aloe Blacc, Raphael Saadiq), Nick Waterhouse’s stealthy sound bombs explode with underground cool and the fevered danceability of the revered Stax-Volt label, their fuses lit with the exuberant grit of ‘60s garage rock. This EP only whets our appetite for more: the hissing maracas, dusky sax and insistent, bluesy piano riff of “Is That Clear” makes for a perfect two minutes of serious dance-floor hip-shaking; the sinewy rhythm and growly vocals on “Some Place” will charm Black Keys fans, and the entire production glows with the warmth of pristinely preserved analog equipment. (Check out Waterhouse’s similarly meticulous production work on psych-garage rockers the Allah-Las’ single, “Catamaran.”)