Review Summary: Sounds like: A photobooth beatdown.
Do you know that shady salesman that pops up out of nowhere only to sucker you into purchasing some worthless product? I have personally fallen victim on more than one occasion. There was one particular instance that stuck out to me the most. Me an a buddy went walking through a mall searching for anything metal. All of a sudden a pretty, young girl came out of nowhere and started talking to me. At the time, I was stoked and thought to myself, wow, my lack of effort is really starting to pay off. Little did I know that I had just been suckered into one of those Photoshop booths. Before you could say METAL I was holding several face shots displayed in frames, key chains, and mugs in my arms. The bill was 75 dollars and just now catching onto the ploy I refused to cave in to her demands. She tried to squirm her way out of the situation by offering discounts but instead of caving to demands, I smashed the mug like a beer bottle and cut her throat. The other employee started to run away but I chucked the frame in the knick of time to trip him up. I then proceeded to lay down a public beating of epic proportion.
What does this story have to do with Danko Jones? Nothing really but like the previous story I was suckered into a random purchase with a decidedly more positive result. Danko Jones is a three-piece rock band hailing from mighty ol Canada approaching pre-teen years with a birth date of 1996. I first read about these guys in Brave Words Bloody Knuckles expecting to hear a balls out metal record. I must have just caught the last part of the interview, or, not have read any of it all because Danko Jones don’t play metal. They play a semi-aggressive rock n roll style balancing radio friendly hooks and commercial appeal with provocative lyrics and occasionally metal influence. The band delivered a new album ‘Never Too Loud in 2008 which can be best described as a swagger drenched biker bar soundtrack.
The album contains 13 songs shifting between the slower acoustic numbers “Take Me Home" to the mid tempo rockers “Code Of The Road” and the epic “Forest Of TheThrees” featuring guest vocals from John Garcia(Kyuss) and Pete Stahl. Danko Jones bring nothing new to the table, just 13 laid back jams to kick back with your friends. If you can appreciate the power of rock with simple chord progressions, anthemic choruses, and generally inappropriate lyrics you don’t need to look any further. Main man Danko possesses a very easy on the ears vocal style shifting between a smooth crooning cop and a swashbuckling pirate. His melodies are very simple but incredibly addicting. “Something Better”, “Forest Of The Threes” and Code Of The Road are highlights worth checking out. Danko is also the band’s lone guitar player, designing the riffs to follow the vocal patterns instead of roaming around in the open. The riffs are heavy, grooving, and catchier than sexually transmitted diseases. Nothing more to be found, nothing less to be found. The other two members, John and Dan, contribute their respective band positions just as simply and effective. They hold a steady rhythm section with driving low tuned bass and mid paced drumming.
The album has some length to it but makes up for it with a relatively enjoyable listen. Danko Jones employ the safe and standard songwriting technique but execute it better than it sounds. There are plenty of standouts and the lack of any real filler just cements the killer of this album. And let’s not forget to bring up the cowbell. The cowbell is featured on one of the bonus tracks “Sugar Hill” and is definitely worth a peek for all those enthusiasts out there. Overall though, Never Too Loud is a great album to pick up if you’re itching for something ballsy.
