Duo of gruff girls gets the blues

If Vancouver, British Columbia, is the womb of a litter of musical sensations ‘mdash; The New… If Vancouver, British Columbia, is the womb of a litter of musical sensations ‘mdash; The New Pornographers, Black Mountain and Skinny Puppy all call it home ‘mdash; then The Pack A.D. is clearly the runt. Formed in 2006 after breaking away from its former four-member group dubbed the Map, this androgynous female duo’s first gig as a twosome was far from star-making ‘mdash; it was a friend’s barbecue. Perhaps they should have stayed put. Though it’s true what the critics say ‘mdash; that vocalist Betty Black’s vocals resemble those of Janis Joplin ‘mdash; with an alias like that, it’s not clear whether her name or her performance is entirely genuine. Really, the only aspect of the band that even resembles the legend of Joplin is its occasional admitted alcohol abuse. In ‘Blackout,’ the opening track of The Pack A.D.’s sophomore release Funeral Mixtape, Black’s voice is all over the place and never seems to have a set pitch, while drummer Maya Miller’s beats are elementary and monotonous. Black’s random ‘ohs,’ ‘heys’ and ‘yeahs’ get in the way of the song’s melody. While improvisational touches can often give quality to a tune, here Black abuses them. ‘Don’t Have to Like You’ actually has a beat, and a catchy one at that. The lyrics are simple but funny: ‘I don’t have to like you if your leg is broke / I don’t have to like you if you can’t take a joke / I don’t have to like you if your dog is dead / I don’t have to like you for what you said.’ ‘Underground’ is the other favorite and serves as proof that Black actually has a decent singing voice. Her blues were heartfelt, and the song’s pace was not dawdling, but rather skillfully slow. The rhythm and low, Fiona Apple-like grungy vocals of ‘Dannemora Blues’ aren’t bad either, but there’s nothing outstanding about them. Unfortunately, that’s about as good as the album gets. Both ‘Oh Be Joyful’ and ‘Worried’ sound like yowling death chants. In the tunes, Black’s vocals start out strong and passionate and progress into slow, tone-deaf and incoherent screams and wails. If the less-than-polished vocals and humdrum drum beats don’t keep you away from this album, perhaps the fact that the ladies released their debut album TinType less than a year ago will. This could mean one of two things ‘mdash; either their music was so poorly received that they needed to quickly put out a new record to save their reputations, or the fans couldn’t possibly wait for more. All bets are placed with the former. The duo can’t touch Tegan and Sara, but for a two-girl blues band, The Pack A.D. can hold its own. With its affinity for improvisation and crazed wailing, the twosome is likely more comfortable performing in a live music festival atmosphere as opposed to a cramped and uninspiring studio setting. Hopefully, they will put a bit more time and effort into their third release, and the end result will be worth it to our ears. Oh, and mad props to the ladies for entering blues territory, a highly male-dominated field. Overall, The Pack A.D.’s Funeral Mixtape leaves much to be desired. The pace is at times painfully slow, and Black’s voice is sour and droning. The album’s 11 songs are more of the same and should have been cut to around seven or eight solid tracks to keep listeners listening. It is frustrating to see ladies with some obvious talent blow it on an attempt to fit the ‘blues’ mold. Relying on comparisons to well-known rockers will never be enough for the Pack to top the charts.