New album reviews: Greta Van Fleet rocks with swagger; Mandy Barnett triumphs in Muscle Shoals

Greta Van Fleet, "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" (Republic)

Nearly everything about Greta Van Fleet seems spectacular.

Singer Josh Kiszka, 22, has the kind of voice rockers dream of — mixing the swaggering upper register of Robert Plant with the dramatic command of a Broadway soloist. His twin brother, Jake Kiszka, is a guitar marvel, churning through album-rock riffs like Jimmy Page and bluesy solos like Eric Clapton. Their brother, 19-year-old bassist Sam Kiszka, and family friend drummer Danny Wagner, also 19, team up for a stunning rhythm section, especially when they get some room to roam like in the single "When the Curtain Falls." It's no wonder why rock purists and millennial fans alike are falling all over the Michigan rockers, and their powerful debut will generate even more buzz.

"Lover, Leaver (Taker, Believer)" is dizzying in its ability to conjure up so many hard rock milestones from the past, starting with Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The mythologic imagery in "Mountain of the Sun" and Josh Kiszka's howl will have many searching for their copies of Zep's "Houses of the Holy."

However, it is on "Anthem," the most current-sounding of the album's 10 tracks, where Greta Van Fleet makes its biggest move, showing their spiritual, positive point of view and their ability to process more contemporary surroundings.

The strength of that song points out the one main thing missing here. As stylish and often-stunning as Greta Van Fleet's delivery is, their message isn't always on the same level, though they certainly seem to be well on their way to putting it all together.

GLENN GAMBOA, Newsday

Barnett has been best known for her work in country, including her expert conjuring of Patsy Cline in a theatrical musical and her recording of vintage numbers with legendary producer Owen Bradley. For "Strange Conversation," she left Nashville for Muscle Shoals, Ala., and an exciting new chapter that should generate even more acclaim.

The album vividly demonstrates how a masterful singer, with inspired accompanists, can bend a disparate collection of material into a singular, compelling vision all her own. Barnett veers from the swampy, seductive groove of Mable John's "More Love" to the buoyant pop-soul of the Tams' "It's All Right," from the sultry, horns-kissed Ted Hawkins title track to the gutbucket thump of Tom Waits' "Puttin' on the Dog."

John Hiatt duets with Barnett on the rinky-dink kitsch of Sonny and Cher's "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done," and the set ends with more twists and turns: A dreamy take on Neil Sedaka's pop ballad "My World Keeps Slipping Away" segues into the swaggering riffage of Lee Hazlewood's "The Fool" and a raw gospel-blues take on Andre Williams' "Put a Chain on It." In other words, one thrill after another.

NICK Cristiano, Philadelphia Inquirer

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