Eli “Paperboy” Reed and The True Loves
Ace Of Spades EP/7”
Q Division/Virgin Records
9/10

In my time parading around as a “journalist,” I have become spoiled, snotty and sometimes a little bitch. I find myself rarely buying music anymore. Not because I pirate it, but because I really don’t come across that many bands that I want to support financially anymore. Well, I forked over $10 to Eli “Paperboy” Reed and The True Loves for the combo deal of a five song EP and two-song 7” featuring their soul-rendition of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades”. I don’t regret it one bit. While both have the title track and “I’m Going To Break Every Heart I Can,” the CD EP also has another unreleased track, “Bad Girl” and live versions of “So Tired of Wandering” and “Stake Your Claim”. Reed and his gang are heirs to the crown of Soul music. How a white boy from Boston has channeled the sound of 1960’s Memphis is a testament to how music is cross-cultural, cross-generational, and simply, badass. Eli “Paperboy” Reed and The True Loves are badass.

–Jonathan Yost