by Oliver on August 30, 2023 in Album
At Danko Jones of course everything stays the same. But the pause surrounding the pandemic drained the batteries of the Power Trios apparently charged (at least) in the medium term after an average career phase and ensures a motivated hunger in the Electric Sounds.
„Not working for two years really felt like touring rock bands were being put out to pasture. But I think that just fueled us even more.“explains Danko Jones in the leaflet and immediately follows up with an announcement in the opener:”Guess Who’s Back/ Me Motherfucker/…/No sleep/ No chill/ I’m gonna be up all night/ Just killing it/ No breaks/ No rest/ Just kicks/ And punching the walls/ Damn, it feels so good/ Damn, it feels so nice/ It feels so good when you know you’re right/ And everybody else can kiss my ass“. This is the Danko we know!
So no, too Electric Sounds does not mark a paradigm shift in the Canadians’ discography, does not move a millimeter out of the trademark comfort zone – but after ten stylistically relatively congruent predecessors, that was not to be feared anyway.
„We’ve built a sound over the years and we’re sticking with it.‘ the self-analysis goes on to say: ‘When it comes to the lyrics, we don’t have that much latitude in our sound as far as the themes go. Our songs are usually about us rocking, wanting to rock, enjoying life while rocking, and sometimes I sing about a woman too.” True. But somehow all the subscribed platitudes and Danko templates come across a little bit better this time, because they are so ideally proclaimed on the cliché; they are more fun in their demonstrative fulfillment of expectations and the balance between exaggeration and authenticity.
Appropriately, the frequency of those songs that relate to the imaginary post-We Sweat Blood-Best of place (no longer just benevolent would, no) would have to. And that’s what the tolerably variable Hard Rock Metal cosmos of Danko Jones has been about for almost 20 years, isn’t it?
Electric Sounds is one of the band’s strongest studio albums since 2003: the band haven’t had more memorable fan pleasers for a long time (more precisely: the highlights are clearly more outstanding than on the consistently successful predecessor). This is ensured above all by starting with the supercatchy serotonin slingshot Good Time before the strong refrain hook in the stoic Stiff Competitionas well as the conclusion with the passionately simple screamed hit What Goes Around and the anticipation of the tour Shake Your City as a battle cry (part of that kind).
In addition, all guest contributions ignite effectively. The title track would be without the solo spice of thrasher Daniel Dekay (Exciter) just a great standard, Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies) cares in She’s My Baby for distinguished, persistent questions with British grandeur, and for the inspired title of Get High? would Weezer probably kill, for the serene, anthemic AOR catchy tune with Damian Abraham (Fucked Up) in the finish behind but rather The Darkness.
The weakening third quarter of the record with the less important (i.e. leveled off at the level of the Danko levels that have been common over the past decade) modular numbers is also affected by this Eye for an Eye (a jaunty routine with bite), (the monotonous repetition of tough hard rock) I Like It and (the not really sticking catchiness of the fine pop) Let’s Make Out carried. By which Electric Sounds then collects that rounding up in the evaluation, which actually already Power Trio would have deserved in retrospect with the fan glasses.
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