It is amazing how bottomless Jay Reatard's catalog is. Over the past few months, I have found myself plunging deeper and deeper into the late artist's recordings. An album that I have frequently circled back to is the 1998 LP Teenage Hate, recorded with Jay's first group, appropriately named The Reatards. The fifteen tracks amount to little more than thirty minutes, and exhibit a raw and relentless energy. The vocals, which at times approach a feverish scream, pair with the guitar work to deliver an abrasive, yet sculpted, rush as Jay and his band-mates hurtle from one song into the next. Teenage Hate, upon one's first listen, presents itself as an unabashed standard for garage rock.I would contend that Teenage Hate exhibits as many signifiers of early rock n' roll as it does punk heritage. Dampening the distortion and slowing manic tempo for a moment, the guitar riffs illustrate the distinct impact of artists such as Chuck, Berry, Buddy Holly, Alex Chilton, and The Stooges. This strong undercurrent of early rock n' roll is further tempered by the lyrical sentiment and simplicity of several tracks, including "Outta My Head," "I Gotta Rock N Roll," and an interpretation of Holly's "Ollie Vee." Teenage Hate also offers passing glimpses of the direction that Jay Reatard's music would take over the next twelve or so years, during which time he recorded with maniacal frequency. As Jay howls "Well that's quite alright, baby if you wanna leave" again and again with such a despondent derision on "Quite All Right," it portends his future recordings for Matador Records, recording that were so full of reclusive isolation and gloomy disenchantment.
The Reatards, like virtually all musicians, were indebted to their forebears and developed their own distinct Southern garage punk through an amalgamation of styles and acts, and through their own musical individuality. More recently, Alabama Shakes have been accused of being derivative, as if that word alone should be some type of indictment of their creativity and musical ingenuity. Certainly, Boys and Girls demonstrates how Southern rock n' roll, Robert Plant-esque vocals, and a hearty helping of Stax Records soul, all served to influence and inform the manner in which Alabama Shakes make music, and there should be nothing wrong with that. After all, classical music is built on a foundation which is centuries old, why should rock n' roll be any different?
