FEATURES
There is something familiar and strangely comforting about The Damnwells' music. The quartet resurrected the widespread pop rock of the late '90s, but brought it back with edge.
From the hilariously sarcastic lyrics in the opening track to the simple and sweet acoustic promises sung on "I Will Keep the Bad Things From You," lead singer/songwriter frontman Alex Dezen demonstrates a wide range of styles represented throughout the album.
Dezen draws upon personal experiences to deliver his honest, emotional and sometimes bitter lyrics over smooth beats in "Star/Fool", a catchy riff reminiscent of Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance ."
Dezen's biting lyrics are evident in the track "Sleepsinging": "It's up to you now/this place is filling up with smoke/you won't let me breathe in or out/so I resolve to cut my own throat/I have been such a fool for you/I put my faith in things you could never do/now I'm chasing myself to catch up with you."
The band shines early on in the album with driving songs like "What You Get," "Kiss Catastrophe" and the down tone of "I'll Be Around" and "Newborn History."
Shifting from the cry of an angry lover to a captivating serenade, Dezen croons in "The Lost Complaint," "I just want to focus on you/Marie Claire's got nothing on you."
Where most CDs start to lose speed, The Damnwells pick up with infectious guitar rhythms in an exceedingly addictive song, "Electric Harmony."
The CD closes with the hauntingly beautiful ballad "Texas," and if you can stick around for three minutes of silence, the raw hidden track, "Lucy," kicks in with a darker tone that sets it aside from the rest of the album.
The Damnwells are masters of the beat with simple, honest and sometimes humorous lyrics played over familiar and insistently driving tunes.
