ALBUM REVIEW: Dananananaykroyd - There Is A Way

(Dew Process, 2011)

Review by Michael Bird
                                             
6/10

It’s hard to tell what lies at the center of Dananananakroyd, what their endgame is. The Glaswegian six-piece excel at a few different things: communicating some of the manic energy that goes into their live show in studio recordings, walking the line between several different genres and scenes, and remaining relevant despite in-band health problems, line up changes and having a really annoying name. For all that though, it’s unclear what we’re supposed to make of There Is A Way, an album that falls just short of being something special.

Dananananakroyd do pull in a few different directions in their current incarnation. Less so in any hardcore derivative these days in any sense other than vocals, but never quite indie, never quite truly fist-pumping anthems and never quite straight up rock, the band could be accused of meandering a little on There Is A Way. ‘Reboot’ is a strong opener, probably a great concert opener too, but the energy wears off, and by about ‘Muscle Memory’ something like boredom might set in.

Having Ross Robinson onboard to produce lends the album some serious street cred, but his professional touch may contribute to the ultimately tempered impact of the record. Cuts like ‘All Us Authors’ and ‘Muscle Memory’ jostle along in line with the ‘fight pop’ label the band have assigned themselves, but are just a little too polished to hit with enough force to be memorable. Robinson does with There Is A Way what he’s been renowned for in the second half of his career behind the desks, sanding back the rough edges of acts that spill over acceptable mainstream bounds and delivering standout, often career defining albums (see At the Drive-In’s Relationship of Command, Slipknot’s Iowa and The Blood Brothers’ …Burn, Piano Island, Burn). The potential problem with this is that while some bands shine brightest once the air is cleared and they are given a clean, polished canvas to work with, others lose something vital when they lose their roughest edges. Dananananakroyd sound more balanced here than they have on previous outings, but they definitely fall into the latter camp.

JEBEDIAH - The Corner Hotel, Richmond, 05/05/2011

Text and Photos by Matthew Hallett

                                                                   

After the band’s time away from the limelight, it would be difficult for Jebediah to know how they’d be received after such a long absence from the public domain. Two shows at the Corner Hotel, to audiences at maximum capacity is always a promising sign. With the band’s last album being 2004’s ‘Braxton Hicks’, new album ‘Kosciuszko’ (2011) has been a long time coming. Especially for the loyal fans who’ve stuck by the band over the years.

For many, the night was their first chance to see the Perth quartet live in a considerable amount of time, after Jebediah only doing a handful of shows in recent years. Even frontman Kevin Mitchell stated that it was the first time in around 11 years that Jebediah had played at The Corner Hotel.

As soon as Jebediah took to the stage, launching into Lost my Nerve it was evident their time apart had not affected their ability to put on a great live show. Kevin Mitchell kicking his feet around in a strange dance, before taking his stance at the microphone.

Many of the crowd wanting to hear some older material were not disappointed either. Three songs in and fans were treated to Puck Defender with one punter yelling out, “We love the ‘90s”. But there was a healthy mix of new and old material with Jebediah conscious of wanting to move forward, but at the same time wanting to play the tracks that everyone grew up with. New songs such as Under Your Bed and the ever so catchy She’s like a Comet were evenly dispersed between older classics such as Fall Down, Leaving Home, and Benedict. With Kevin Mitchell reflecting on lyrics written in Benedict stating sarcastically that he should have won a Logie with lyrics like that, before jokingly realising Logies won’t be awarded for song-writing.

Throughout the night it’s clear that each and every member of Jebediah is having a ball on stage and revelling in the joy of playing music with each other once again. The crowd is having just as good a time with smiles, dancing, and mouths motioning the shape of every lyric. The show rolled on from song to song in an energetic and well-flowing manner, and before you knew it, what was meant to be a 60 minute set, finished after around 95 minutes with the heartfelt classic Harpoon.