Being There

When the bluesy rock of “In Case You Forget” opens up Clear Plastic Masks' debut album, there’s a delicious moment of recognition and discovery at the same time. The foursome’s move from Brooklyn (what kind of musician leaves Brooklyn?) to Nashville tells you a lot, as does the fact that Alabama Shakes producer Andrija Tokic is at the controls on Being There. CPM fall neatly between the distorted swagger of The Black Keys and the good-time Southern rock 'n' roll of Kings of Leon, and a large handful of tunes here are more than worthy of any decent dive bar’s jukebox. The serpentine “So Real,” the soulful reboot of the ‘60s soul single “Outcast,” and the crusty bass and grimy keys of “Pegasus in Blue” all provide perfect soundtracks to hot nights spent swilling cold beer. Vocalist Andy Katz has a voice meant for one thing, and that’s sharing pent-up pain and frustration. On the blistering ballad “Baby Come On,” Katz sounds like he might bust a vocal cord in the crescendo, and the fireburst of guitar work throws off sparks of a whole new kind of incendiary blues notes.