Though Jon Spencer’s rising profile in the early-’90s pegged Boss Hog as one of his side projects due to it being the band he shared with wife Cristina Martinez, it’s always been her show, and it’s always been unpredictable. Reemerging last year with the four-song Brood Star EP (also on long-time label In The Red) after a hiatus of 15-plus years, Brood X is Boss Hog’s first album since 2000’s great, sadly misunderstood Whiteout, and it’s a lively hybrid of funk’s nastier side, featuring organ/keyboard-driven ass-shakers and the gutter-blues one might expect from the principals behind its creation. Primarily a vocal showcase for Martinez (Spencer’s vocals take a backseat, as on previous albums), the succinct 10 songs on Brood X are all upbeat workouts, though slower, moody closer “Sunday Routine” is a nice touch that belies the dance-floor-readiness of what precedes it.
—Andrew Earles
