If You Go

Residents of Cincinnati have been aware of Buffalo Killers — a power-trio that draws comparisons to the blues-rock of Cream and Neil Young — for quite some time. It is now Athens’ turn to sample the unadulterated rock bliss of these emerging blues troubadours.

In a time when ’60s revivalists proliferate with feigned sophistication and hammy rock n’ roll decadence, this band is a breath of fresh air. The band’s self-titled debut on Alive Records infuses unpolished righteousness with fuzz-stewed splendor to create an inventive hodgepodge. The product is a whirling, drug-laden brew that inflames your awareness, leaving you aghast with a contact high.

No member of the band clearly outshines the rest, with each casting aside egotism to create a lush fusion of psychedelic-blues majesty — a fundamental of band longevity that members of Cream would have been wise to heed. Zachary and Andrew Gabbard, playing bass and guitar while splitting vocal duties, feed off each other with a raw magnetism, weaving a rhythmic ease with tight licks and strident lead. Joseph Sebaali, on drums, tempers precision with frenzied energy, giving a torrid backdrop that kicks with wild impulsion.

The tracks merge from madcap rock-defiance to genuine tenderness. The sound is sweet enough for your girl but has a brash, don’t-give-a-damn mystique that propels the album above the din of rehashed ’60s revivalists.

The first track, “San Martine Des Morelle,” kicks in with a languid, wah-wah-driven swagger that rattles the listener to attention. The lyrics are in the pining, anguished blues fashion, and the vocals are whiskey-cracked, merged with madness, love and everything in between.

“Children of War” displays a heartfelt lyrical maturity, serving as a call to push things forward by casting aside outmoded ideals of an age that college students will never experience but are convinced must have been spectacular. Celebrating the grandeur of here and now, it urges us to “forget about the ’60s / because there’s more going on right now.”

Heavily distorted with buzz-saw slide guitar, “Fit to Breathe” is a jagged, unkempt, delta-blues spectacle. The frets melt with a demonic jubilation and a sense that everything is not so peachy.

Although inventive and a step above the din, the band’s self-titled debut suffers from a lack of vision at times, lulling you with an overabundance of same-old scratch. A daring for the unexplored would hurt nothing.

Nonetheless, fans of pure, unrestrained rock ’n’ roll with a revamped spin will certainly want a copy of this album and will not want to miss the Buffalo Killers perform at Blackoutfest XII tonight at The Union, 18 W. Union St.