Danna and the Changes: Consonant Cacophony

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”.