King Khan & BBQ Show - Invisible Girl

One can’t accuse King Khan or Mark Sultan (aka BBQ) of laziness: following their Almighty Defenders ‘supergroup’ LP, the pair fire off Invisible Girl, another entry in a long-standing musical partnership. Remaining true to the doo wop, and 60s garage rock they mine, the duo’s latest trots out a credible homage to eras past. At the album’s best, Third Ave electrifies a Platters-inspired R&B ballad, while the Berry-channeling Spin the Bottle and Sonics-like I’ll Be Loving You are satisfying doses of garage rock. In truth, the only dud-worthy candidate is Animal Party, a goofy, hick-a-billy romp narrating just what you would expect from the title, replete with sounds of the barnyard. Invisible Girl feels slack compared to their work with The Shrines – lacking the bombast and bravado of King Khan let completely off the chain – but for fans of Khan, the Black Lips or 60s-throwback rock in general, it's still a righteous hoe-down. [Jason Morton]