The Barberries

The debut 7-inch from Atlanta garage-rock foursome the Barberries wields a refreshing balance of savagery and melody that oozes with raw, muffled glory. The scuffed reverb emanating from “Americana Junkie” draws unavoidable comparisons to the haunted gymnasium sounds of early Black Lips recordings. But strange melodic shifts and a deranged vocal belch heard throughout puts this group in a category that is driven much more by abstraction. The motorik plod of “Habitual” is rigid by comparison to the speed-freak jitters of “69/70.” Much like the group’s other, previous and part-time endeavors, Thee Crucials and Double Dynamite, the Barberries wrap experimentation, tradition and psychedelia in good and not-so-clean fun that leaps from the grooves of the gray vinyl platter. 4 stars.