(Posted today on the TONY Blog)
Don't get us wrong, no one loves Joe's Pub more than we do. But we can think of a few ways that swanky lounge might have been refurbished to suit last night's record-release date by Boston roots-rockers Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. All those tables? Outta there. Toss some sawdust on the floor. Instead of pricey cosmopolitans, $5 pitchers. A pool table and a smoky haze in the air would have finished the picture nicely.
We told you about Borges—pronounced BOR-jes, not BOR-haze—last week in a five-star review of her new album, Diamonds in the Dark. She's a Massachusetts native currently based in Boston, and her music struck us as a whip-smart mixture of old-school torch and twang (Wanda Jackson, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam) and punk-rock attitude (old Elvis Costello, X, Lone Justice). "The Day We Met," the disc's lead-off single, has an unbeatable power-pop bounce, while "Stop and Think It Over," penned by garage-rock maven Greg Cartwright, is a throwback to the soulful girl-group sound. (Small wonder that former Shangri-La Mary Weiss also covered the latter song on her recent comeback album.)
Despite a massive cult in Boston and a healthy following on the
roots-rock tour circuit, Borges has yet to break here in New York. Last
night's show proved that it's just a matter of time.
Decked out in a black-and-silver striped mini dress and white cowboy
boots, and armed with a duct-taped Telecaster, Borges revealed a
winning stage presence and showed off a voice even stronger and more
flexible than her record had suggested.
The band kicked off its set with four tunes from its first disc, Silver City (issued in 2005 on Texas indie Blue Corn), then followed with a trio from the new one: "Lord Only Knows," "Belle of the Bar" and "Lonely Town of Love"—the last delivered by Borges in a bluesy drawl worthy of Mick Jagger. Bassist Binky announced "Daniel Lee," the single from the first album, as "a really big hit in our bedrooms." The set included just about everything from both discs, including a pair of requests Borges was clearly pleased to honor.
Guitarist Mike Castellana—a Long Islander, it turned out—served up twangy riffs and heartsick pedal-steel arias. Rob Dulaney demonstrated that ultimate sign of a drummer not prone to grandstanding: mouthing the lyrics to many of the songs. And then there was Binky: bassist, backing vocalist, raconteur and all-around foil to the leader. His ability to play a one-note throb with one finger of his left hand while operating a long-neck with his right must surely be the envy of bassists everywhere; later, he used the half-empty bottle as a slide. His chemistry with Borges—including (but not limited to) rock-star stage choregraphy—put this gig over the top, even in front of one of those quiet, show-me NYC crowds.
It probably helped the band to have Josh, a young kid who knew the words to all the songs—even the new ones—sitting on the front row all night. (He was rewarded with a copy of the new CD.) And eventually, a handsome couple at the next table got up and danced through "The Day We Met" and a few other songs. It took every ounce of our composure not to join them.
You'll have another chance to catch Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles on July 28, when the band opens for Kelly Willis at the Bowery Ballroom. Until then, head to her MySpace page to hear the band for yourself, check out this video for a taste of the live show, and tune into WFUV on June 20 for a live set the band taped while it was in town for last night's show.
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