Grace Potter & The Nocturnals emulate the spirit of vintage classic rock in their self titled album.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals/ Hollywood Records

Listening to Grace Potter and The Nocturnals’ 70’s-nostalgic-dipped melodies, acid-queen rasp and energetic lyrics in their recent self titled album is like a bad first relationship: It’s fun and interesting in the beginning so once it loses promise toward the end, you cling to any small hope that would magically restore the bond to its full luster. There are many things to boast about when dealing with these Virginia natives on their third album: 27-year-old vocalist and namesake Grace Potter’s soulful voice, new bassist Catherine Popper’s untamed four-stringer, drummer Mathew Burr’s adaptive beats and Benny Yourco and Scott Tournet’s simple guitar (when combined together a powerful force).

The only problem Potter and the gang face is keeping the album flowing and interesting in its entirety. The first five tracks are creative and showcase their ability to rock. If they were a band back in 1969 and they released a small EP with those initial tracks and others like it, they would have played at Woodstock.

“Paris (Ooh La La)” ignites the fuse as the lead song with an aggressive “umph” by Potter that kicks off both guitars in classic hard-ass fashion. At this point Potter’s got a bite and moves for the kill as she wails “You got me down on the floor!” sounding like a less-raspy Janis Joplin but a more violent Patti Griffin.  As Burr follows the guitar closely on his kit, Potter oozes sex appeal (If I was a man I’d make a move/ If I was a blade I’d shave you smooth/If I was a judge I’d break the law,) all the while grunting and groaning like an underwear-less woman riding a horse. On “Medicine,” singing over a spiraling bass and rigid guitar, she seems like a jealous temptress (You like the way she makes you feel/ She got you spinning on a policy wheel/ Deep in the night when no ones around/ I got a plan to take that woman down) who in the end gets her man. Although sex appeal may not be a focal point the band wants to project, it is definitely the white elephant in the room grabbing the attention.

“Tiny Light,” the collection’s high point, is the archetypal forbidden love song (I see a tiny light like a flashbulb sparkle in the night/I see a tiny light telling everyone to hold on tight/ Bring me back the streets of gold/Give me something warm to hold/ Give me love and only love and we will see it shining from above.)  The plain instrumental is headed by Potter’s captivating voice as she sings backup too herself with tiny dabs of keyboard and organ strikes. The song climaxes in 70’s fashion, like an acid trip. Potter wails giving in to a guitar solo (the best riff on the album) and as that solo gives away Potter crawls back, this time howling with drums, finishing abruptly.

As “Tiny Light” finishes so does interest in the album. One could only hope that the resonating effect Potter’s shriek leaves on the fifth song carries on to the rest of the album but it seems to hit a dead end. Only the second to last track “Hot Summer Night,” can compare. After Rolling Stone named this band one of the upcoming artists of 2010, I had high expectations for their new album. Who knew they were only half right?

Buy the album at our record store on Amazon

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