Lost Highway

Women – both African-American veterans and young white upstarts – have been the major players in the retro-soul revival so far. That’s one reason why Black Joe Lewis and his Honeybears stand out. Its garage-rocking rawness is another. It’s no surprise that the horn-driven band’s gotten tighter – it’s been on the road a lot. But what really impresses on Scandalous – Lewis’ second full-length album – is the way that the group channels its untamed energy into tauter, hotter blues, funk and rock and roll grooves. Then there’s Lewis himself – more of a shouter than a singer, really – who’s redoubled his attack on each syllable with a combination of swagger and angst. The libido-driven lyrics take a backseat to attitude. Lewis is truly becoming quite the R&B-punk frontman.