Sweat

I’ve been talking up the singles from Swiss-American outfit Sweat for the better part of the year, but this is a release best experienced as a whole rather than piecemeal. The Pittsburgh band brings together the soaring vocals of Sue Pedrazzi with the midwest grit of members of Century III, Rich the Band, and Limousine Beach. Drawing from the heights of ‘70s excess, the band mixes a towering arena rock sound with equal parts prog and glam. At times reaching the stadium-swelling sounds of Heart, Pedrazzi’s voice is the gale force that guides the album, drawing on the power of the Wilsons, Pat Benatar, Geddy Lee, and Joan Jett before her.

Behind her tempest, the band also scan the dial for past influences, proving just as potent on the cathartic pounce of the glam-punk powered “Jane” as they do on the moonstone swirl of “Dark Horses (White Lies).” The band finds solace in the organ-led impulses of Deep Purple and The Moody Blues. They dig into the working-class clout of Thin Lizzy, but also find themselves reaching for the premium chrome sheen of studio smiths like Boston and Rush. On a more modern level, the band’s commitment to the sound of the ‘70s reminds me of somewhat overlooked faves Music Go Music or indie-psych stunners Once and Future Band. No matter how you package and parse their sound though, from the first strains of Who Do They Think They Are? Its obvious that the band is having a blast and that the proper medium for Sweat is as a windows-down fuel for summer nights that never end.