Torrential fuzz and hot-lightning riffs storm opener “Lost Cause,” a fitting kick-start for Austin rock brigade Black Pistol Fire on Deadbeat Graffiti. Since the release of Hush or Howl three years ago, the Canadian-bred duo have found their dirty garage blues on multiple mainstream platforms, including Sons of Anarchy, Madden 15, and Ted 2. Following suit directly, then, guitarist/singer Kevin McKeown and drummer Eric Owen continue to demonstrate flashes of pop brilliance on fret-scorched romps like the syncopated “Last Ride” and slinky “Yet Again.” BPF’s most diverse work yet, their fifth studio LP rides like a wild mustang, kicking up dust devil licks that sweep through a collapsing wreckage of throat-heaved soul, reverb-lashed surf, and garage punk sludge. Deadbeat Graffiti still thrashes with a feral recklessness as in earlier works like the Southern-branded Big Beat ’59 (2012) and an eponymous debut (2011), but tracks like the James Brownian “Speak of the Devil,” country-folk swirled “Watch It Burn,” and sprawling, highway-rock ballad “Fever Breaks” steer their beat-to-hell Bronco down new avenues. It’s no deviation off the main route, only a slight and much-needed detour.
This article appears in October 27 • 2017.