The Pack A.D. is a Molotov cocktail mixture of every band you most likely already like. Canucks, Becky Black and Maya Miller play a mean blues on debut album Tintype (Mint) while at the same time fit comfortably within the ‘new’ revival of garage rock duos. Think The White Stripes only with two awesome ladies instead of just one meeting …Shannon Curfman maybe? Black’s voice is smoky yet bluesy, her influences off the band’s myspace include Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin among others, but there’s no real mistaking who she emulates more. This album isn’t all hard hitting though with some rocking yet mournful songs like "Bang" which nicely shows off The Pack A.D.’s skills; these women aren’t just one trick ponies. The Pack A.D. also occasionally venture completely out of the blues meets garage thing that they have going on and incorporate more of their influences into their repertoire, conscious or not in songs like “This Terror,” which combines Babes in Toyland guitar riffs along side Karen O. vocals. With titles like, “All Damn Day Long,” its easy to write The Pack A.D. off as one of your older sisters Riot Grrrl bands from the prehistoric early ‘90’s era but the Pack literally packs way more substance than that into every song, coming closest in that genre to L7 overall as opposed to Hole. All in all, not a bad major debut for a band formed only two years ago. Coming soon to a college radio station near you!
– jen the intern
