Gristle Gals

On their latest, Gristle Gals tell a familiar tale of heartbreak and the whiskey abuse that follows. But the way they tell it is far from familiar. Rather than putting on country airs and busting out the steel guitar, the trio tells the tale of an unscrupulous ex with a bewitching chant that lies somewhere between nomadic gypsy rock and out-to-sea pirate chanteys. On "Mutiny," vocalist Gretchen Kunz evokes a picture of sitting somberly on a sinking Vasa, drunkenly debating into which waters she should throw her former lover. Songs like "Because of You" and a cover of the Doors-adapted "Alabama Song" tell us that it is indeed whiskey that Kunz hopes will ease her heartbreak. The chilling tone of the album, however, warns us that nothing will truly be fixed until the person in question truly pays for his or her misgivings.