Easily rivaling anything that isn’t painted red and white that has come out of the great Detroit garage rock movement of the early ’00s, the Tough and Lovely’s debut should please those looking for their next fix. A 12-song set of organ-tinged straightforward rock & roll, Born of the Stars doesn’t mimic their dusty 45s influences, but takes their favorite parts and recombines them in a rather clean recording environment. “Hard to Love,” the album’s most beautiful moment, anchors itself to a swirling organ that would make the staunchest of garage rock purists stand up and applaud organist Mark Sims’ performance. The lead singer sounds like a hybrid between Carole King and a bluesy chanteuse from yesteryear; which is perfect and versatile for the ground that the group covers. It’s an impressive debut, setting the bar high for things to come. – Rob Theakston
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