danko jones – born like a lion
in this post-hives/stripes world it feels like the bands have turned up the pace and the rock quota. danko jones come from toronto, and signed to swedish label bad taste, have probably listened a lot to 70’s powerbluesrock bands like hendrix/thin lizzy/dr feelgood and then decided to add a dash of punk attitude – whilst not forgetting that rock should also roll.
11 songs in 36 mins .. no time here for any filler. the voice (rich/full/melodic/gruff – all at the same time !)
does not hide beneath studio trickery. opening track ‘play the blues’ - clichéd lyrics, a riff-ridden blast of blues rock is an excellent start, and lays out the bands stall perfectly. the guitar and bass is fuzzed up to the max but is as tight as a ducks “back quarters”.
this sets the scene well for the rest of the lp. this is invigorating straight up stuff .. no sonic adventuring – we’ll leave that to radiohead
instead this is excellent for a wake-up call for any early shift workers who want a bit of an adrenalin rush