The Sights Blow Out Ears, Deliver Beyond Expectations

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 15, 2012 5:30PM

Photo by Doug Coombe

The first time The Sights were described to us the mental image we conjured was of a soul band's heart beating in a garage band's body, and that wasn't far off. Their earlier albums are scrappy, turbulent affairs and the first few times we saw frontman Eddie Baranek perform we kept waiting for him to either pass out or fall of the stage.

As the years passed the band continued to put out solid albums people with a rotating case of musicians with the band remaining based in Detroit. We admit, though, that we didn't really see the band growing so we lost touch with them over the years.

The Sights' new album, Left Over Right, has returned our focus to the group though, filled as it is with songs that show that little soul heart has leapt out to overtake the garage rock body in a big way. These songs show the band growing into a true R&B machine, mixing southern horns into guitars that continue to roar with a Motor City ferocity. Baranek delivers his vocals with the abandon of a preacher about to slip into tongues as he channels his spirited tales to lay along the walls of organ-flecked pandemonium underneath.

The Sights have always been a great live band. And their albums always showed they were capable of delivering solid studio work. But Left Over Right show as the band has finally wrassled that live fervor and captured it down to tape to finally reveal their full potential. And a more potent result we couldn't have asked for.

The Sights play Sunday at Double Door, giving us a chance to see these new songs in action, but download "Fool" off the album and get a taste for what to expect.

MP3: The Sights "Fool"

The Sights play on Sunday, June 17, at Double Door, 1572 N Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m., $10, 21+