Rectifier

Something Warm

Dec. 27, 2011

midnight

This much is certain: Katie Mack, the powerhouse vocalist for Milwaukee rockers Rectifier, can (and no doubt will) kick your ass. The first line out of her mouth on Something Warm's opening track “Get What You Get”“Woke up this morning with a gun in my face”establishes this tough, trends-be-damned band as a rising force on the local scene. Something Warm is on fire, burning up with songs about bad lovin' and good drinkin'; on the band's Facebook page, “Pabst Blue Ribbon” is named as a sixth member. Clever lyrics, smart arrangements and a Southern rock sound turned on its head reflect Rectifier's “Northern rock” tag. Complementing Mack's hell-on-heels delivery is the boozy voice of Brendan Shea, who helps Rectifier draw favorable comparisons to the Zac Brown Band (“Bucket O' Fried Chicken”), Drive-By Truckers (“Warmth of a Woman”) and The Black Crowes (“Two Legged Cyclone”). Something Warm should make Rectifier a hot commodity in these parts.