Danko Jones - Wild Cat (2017)

Back in the mid-20th century, before rock & roll was used to describe a type of music, it was an obscure euphemism for the physical act of love. In 2017, Danko Jones haven't tried to reclaim rock & roll's original meaning, but they have decided to make a rock & roll album (music that's fast, loud, and has a lot of guitars) about rock & roll (love, sex, and the charms of the female species). Wild Cat isn't crassly obsessed with sex, but on this album, Danko Jones sound as fascinated with women as they are with guitars, and tunes like "Do This Every Day," "My Little Rock 'n' Roll," and "She Likes It" are lean, loud, and swaggering celebrations of both romance and Eros. Most hard rock bands don't have a great track record of writing tunes about sex that don't sound bone-headed or hostile, but Wild Cat manages the impressive feat of making women every bit as cool as the guys who are crazy for them. Suitably, this music sounds a bit less aggressive than the majority of Danko Jones' work, but the hard rock groove here is highly potent. And the swagger the titular bandleader brings to the music is impressive while his guitar work is explosive, and the rhythm section of bassist John Calabrese and drummer Rich Knox is a marvel of power and finesse. Danko Jones still worship at the shrines of AC/DC, Motörhead, and Thin Lizzy, but they more than do right by their influences, and like those bands, they've learned to write songs about sex that have a genuine sense of humor, especially the grand finale "Revolution (But Then We Make Love)." Wild Cat is a wild ride from one of the best hard rock bands treading the boards today, and it's a fine introduction to their high-octane style and certain to please loyal fans. ~ Mark Deming