Ever get that sinking feeling that blistering, old-fashioned American rock is in decline? Ragged Barracudas is solid proof that the scorching sound you love is alive and well – at least, it is in their native Germany. The RBs have succeeded in capturing the sounds of a Rt. 66 biker bar circa 1976: that dusty, road-worn feeling seeps out of the mottled overdrive, the staggering 12/8 drum fills, the classic no-bullshit bass tone. The opening matched guitar bends of “Cheap Allure” are perfectly out of sync, in a way that gives the track that vast, expansive feeling; the almost medieval parallel 5ths of “Motor Jam” slip into unison, hitting you with a wall of huge sound and then piercing you like a needle. With all of this, the band is able not just to mimic that old-school rock tone, but to inhabit it as their own – and yet, for all the nostalgia in this album, there are moments where the band swings skillfully into a more modern, more punk-influenced getup: the galloping B section of “Cheap Allure” is some kind of fantastic hybrid of biker rock and melodic punk; the vocals on “Living The Dream” are half Morrissey and half Morrison, in timbre and delivery. If you’re aching for some tough, booming tunes, then Ragged Barracudas have got you covered. Keep an eye on them through any of their many labels (Unholy Anarchy for the US, plus At War With False Noise, Cardinal Fuzz, and Who Can You Trust?) and stream below to fill your ears with this classic goodness.