[04.24.06] OK. First off, we've got to address the White Stripe comparisons. Yes, Deadboy & the Elephantmen have a stripped down sound. Yes, many songs rely on tried and true Delta blues chord structures. And, yes, we're dealing with a boy-guitarist/girl-drummer outfit (and, yeah, she only started playing drums a year ago).

But for a band operating within this structure, We Are Night Sky couldn't be farther from the Stripes. For openers, the release is on Fat Possum records—not exactly a hotbed of the garage revival. Couple this fact with the knowledge that singer Dax Riggs is the former frontman for sludge demi-gods Acid Bath, and the path diverges further. But the proof is in the presentation. Whereas Jack's vocal style drifts towards a nasal whine, Dax Riggs channels a throaty, circa-'73 David Bowie warble that mixes with his Marc Bolan-on-the-bayou guitar tone to produce glam-garage outtakes that, even seven years after the White Stripes' introduction, sound fresher than you'd think they could.

But keep listening and other things pop out, most notably drummer Tessie Brunet's beautiful backing vocals that are employed almost perfectly throughout the album. And even though the band tours as a two-piece, other layers—such as bass, piano, euphonium and tuba—add a richness to the simple songs that leads me to hear new elements after many listenings.

However, it's no secret that Dax's voice and lyrics are the stars of this show. Indeed, his ruminations on darkness, night, loss and the like, add up to a concept album that avoids pretentiousness and, magically, repetitiveness. Like his reflections in the song "Ancient Man," Riggs paints a convincing picture of a man confused and frightened by a world that could slip away at any time. It's a heartbreaking sentiment that's woven into most of the tracks on We Are Night Sky, and, in a strange way, cleverly reinforces the power chords on the more rocking tracks. And on the slower songs—especially "Dressed In Smoke"—the melancholy becomes almost overpowering.

Musicspork just can't get enough of this record. Highest recommendations. —Jeremy