The Perfect Poor (http://www.theperfectpoor.com) happily stitch together pieces of surf music, rockabilly, country, punk, and heavy metal, sort of like a threesome between X, the Cult, and Steve Earle. As odd as that may sound, the Perfect Poor bake all of those diverse influences into an engaging, well-cooked meal.
Occupying the harder edges of the Americana scene, the Perfect Poor can twang as frequently and sweetly as the best roots-rock combos but they're not afraid of playing with serrated edges as well. The title track opens with a thrilling surf riff that then explodes with garage-rock fury. Even better is the bracing "House On Wheels" with its two-fisted chunks of metallic guitar and angst-ridden vocals.
Much Americana these days is safe and veers too closely to an easy-listening volume. The Perfect Poor, on the other hand, spit and snarl with the venom of a pissed-off punk group and rock with the macho punch of '70s metal. "So grab your guns all you hell hounds," commands Nicho on "House on Wheels," letting everybody know immediately not to expect any subtlety here.
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For the most part, "The Devil Made Me Who I Am" satisfies any hankering for beef jerky although the Perfect Poor shouldn't aim for the commercial heights of "He Doesn't Run with Those Boys Anymore," which simply lacks the wallop of their grittier material.
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