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Danna and the Changes

Consonant Cacophony

(Popboomerang Records; US: 5 Jul 2008; UK: Available as import)

A rollicking, Strokes-ian garage rock romp entitled “Baby Love” greets the listener, and from that moment on you think that Danna and the Changes are on the right course. From there they don’t go off the rails with an equally infectious “Good Duet” which is more of a band effort even if it goes on a hair too long. However the soft, romantic hues coming from “Good Times” seem forced, momentarily changing gears roughly halfway in. The group gets back on track with “Are You Gonna Take Me Home?” that is pure roots rock with some Stones-y swagger tossed in for good measure. After a sappy, terribly sweet but ineffective “He Was Irrelevant”, the group nail the country-leaning toe-tapper “Janie”. They also return to this earthy style with “I’ll Come ‘Round” which resembles the Jayhawks or Golden Smog. Perhaps the biggest problem with the record is it has a bit too much fat around the edges, with “Rise and Shine” soaring above a mediocre “Long Time Alone”.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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