Life, Love and Leaving is the second album by underground rock act the Detroit Cobras. Like the Dirtbombs or the Screws, the Cobras pay homage to the decades of artists who have hit the vinyl before them. These Motor City garage rockers combine gospel, soul, R&B and 50s rock & roll to create a unique mix of retro innocence and tight, danceable music overflowing with rhythm and grit. Frontwoman Rachael Nagy croons with class and soul, with a low, hearty voice that sounds husky and warm. On Life, Love and Leaving, the Cobras cover everyone from Otis Redding and Ike Turner to more obscure acts, such as Clyde McPhatter, with the amazing ballad "Let's Forget About the Past", and Ronnie Mack with the equally mind-blowing "Cry On". While a band that only does covers may sound like a one-trick pony, the Cobras manage to mine the hidden parts of bygone eras, coming back with gems that might go otherwise unheard to the next generations, and creating a great style of their own in the process. --Jennifer Maerz