Detroit four piece, Mexican Knives make desert-tinged blues tracks that are big, loud, and unapologetic, and will soon be playing in your head when you walk slow-motion to the bar and ask for another shot of whiskey. Their split-track single, “Nightmare/ Down to Hell” dramatizes the bands raw range: “Nightmare” is a frantic fit pumping track in which guitarist/ front-man Zach Weedon and amazing singer Ruth Synowiec are at their tightest sync, swinging back and forth over the boards and making some downright fun and beautiful rock n’ roll. It’s the kind of single material that picks up all of its energy on beat one and doesn’t stop until it’s finished with you. The track’s counterpart, “Down to Hell” is a slow sprawling, twisted build that reflects Mexican Knives’ ability to subsume your mood at any tempo.
Both songs find their strength between the tones and style of Synowiec in relation to the band, which isn’t surprising when you consider Weedon’s influences: he sent me a link to The Consolers, talked about the Staple Singers, and played in the Dirtbombs for a while. Mexican Knives doesn’t particularly sound like any of these things, but there’s an underlying foreboding blues-rock attitude in each track. Zach called it fire and brimstone. I couldn’t have said it any better.
Mexican Knives have another single coming out sometime this winter in prep for a LP that’s set for the spring. If you’re smart, you keep an eye out for it. For now, get over to their Soundcloud and get some.
