From Brooklyn, NYC, Connie Lynn Petruk and Christmas Davis are The Tall Pines—a duo who weld garage-rock, southern soul, swamp blues, and a little drive-in-movie sleaze into a bare-bones rock ’n’ roll joyride. Think fuzz-box guitars, soul-soaked vocals, and a sound that’s equal parts back-porch and back-alley.

Petruk arrives—in a Shania-Twain-by-way-of-Leopard-Print suit, not only wearing it. Better but with a voice that hits like a hurricane. Davis? Rock ’n’ roll personified: man in black, slinging blues riffs so dirty Robert Johnson would be giving the slow clap. Together they’re combustible, like two live wires sparking off each other in real time.

The setlist was a short swamp-stomp hoedown: Fire In My Bones shook the room awake, Always True rode a steady groove, and Burt Reynolds’ Grin—their glorious Smokey and the Bandit homage—landed like pure Southern sunshine if Burt had been played by Connie herself, all swagger and Jerry Reed-style licks. Boogie! did exactly what it said on the label, while their cover of Sly Stone’s I Wanna Take You Higher felt like a stadium-sized celebration crammed into Bannermans’ low-slung brick walls. Abducted Leon County told a twisted love-at-first-sight tale, their new single Yeah strutted with confidence, and Up! took it all home on a high.

This is glorious South-Delta-meets-NYC rock ’n’ roll—sweaty, soulful, and unapologetically loud.  An amazing duo. Exactly the kind of find you should be searching for in the Edinburgh Festival.

****

Reviewed by Steve H

Venue  Bannerman’s

Time 20.30

Until 18th Aug