Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners Issue #27

Sev7en (Nitro)

By Chris Sherman
Published: March 1st, 2006 | 12:00am

It hasn’t been easy for the icons of the hardcore punk era to age gracefully. Exene Cervenka’s first band, X, was a mainstay of the then-developing hardcore scene in early ’80s Los Angeles. While they cobbled together an unusual brand of music, combining rockabilly with the lightning-fast tempo of punk and harmonized lead vocals, it was the desperation and power of hardcore that were key components of their sound.

Given that Cervenka’s latest album, Sev7en, hews pretty close to that formula after all these years, it’s impossible to avoid comparing it to the output of her iconic past. And while this outing finds her in relatively good shape — backed by a fine band and given a production that’s just raw enough to sound credible — the go-for-broke reckless abandon that she managed to conjure with band mate John Doe in their heartbreaking harmonies is nowhere in sight.

In place of the wild, romantic abandon of X’s “The World’s a Mess, It’s in My Kiss,” we’re given Cervenka’s quaint depiction of country taverns and her still clever wordplay. But this is like trading the real thing for a serviceable imitation — a harsh judgment perhaps, but unavoidable.

Despite the less than thrilling results, Cervenka is still an energetic performer. Perhaps more distance from her past glories would shed better light on her current work.