The strongest aspect of the 22-20s' self-titled debut is not the stripped-down, Rolling Stones-style blues but the ability of the U.K. foursome to confidently and intelligently honor that comparison without self-parody. Frontman Martin Trimble's refreshingly unfettered, raw delivery complements the band's swampy blues strut. His vocals, along with adept keyboard work from Charly Coombes, add welcome propulsion when the drum/guitar formula slips into redundancy. The up-tempo songs don't show much variation or excitement, but the real fire comes when the band slows it way down ("Friends") or steps out of the garage ("Baby Brings Bad News") and lets the songs get by on their own natural steam.
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