Peter Parcek 3 “The Mathematics of Love,” Vizz Tone/Red Star/Red Eye

It’s a relief to finally hear a modern blues guy with some sex in his voice and sick in his guitar. Peter Parcek is fast-paced like Chicago blues, but without any cheese. He is well-produced, but it sounds accidental. He’s sharp as a glass of icy bourbon, and warm as a glass of icy bourbon.

His voice is magnetic. But it must be the band as a whole that makes his new album work so well, because the melodies and coordinated playing are what really do the trick. Riffs that seem to hit you just right are echoed and coddled. Fuzz is turned up just so, drums are hollow and hungry and the bass is steady. The concepts in the songs are not too complex if the lyrics are taken alone. But with implications laid down heavily in the tone of the singing and the twists of the music, the Peter Parcek 3 create something truly deep, dark and lovely.

"So Nice Gotta Do It Up Twice!" (created by the original NYC D.J., Jocko, 1955)