The Damnwells - Bastards Of The Beat (2003)

Tracklist

01. Assholes (Album Version) Explicit
02. What You Get (Album Version)
03. Kiss Catastrophe (Album Version)
04. I'll Be Around (Album Version)
05. Newborn History (Album Version)
06. I Will Keep The Bad Things From You (Album Version)
07. Sleepsinging (Album Version)
08. The Sound (Album Version)
09. The Lost Complaint (Album Version)
10. Electric Harmony (Album Version)
11. New Delhi (Album Version)
12. Star / Fool (Album Version)
13. Texas (Album Version)

This Brooklyn group has a lot of assets that fans of Americana should lap up in a minute. After a brief introductory lament on the leadoff track, lead singer Alex Dezen toes the line between roots rock and alternative pop (à la Soul Asylum) on the gleeful, grin-inducing "What You Get." If there's any drawback to the song, it comes off as a tad incomplete, but the Westerberg-influenced "Kiss Catastrophe" rights the ship with an excellent, mid-tempo melancholic melody. The first breather on the album is a quasi-country ballad entitled "I'll Be Around," which sounds like a polished Wilco B-side attempt. The trumpet is a refreshing touch, though. The band nails the subsequent "Newborn History" far better, a slower and moodier effort resembling The Cash Brothers or, to a lesser extent, Goo Goo Dolls. It's also the first tune that slowly evolves into a grandiose affair, with guitarist David Chernis adding crisp solos. Later on, this is further perfected with a solid "Electric Harmony." "I Will Keep the Bad Things From You" is a far sparser number, with Dezen giving it a haunting, singer/songwriter touch that includes the sound of pages turning in the mix. Perhaps the highlight is the anthem-like pop/rock of "The Sound," driven by drummer Steven Terry, bringing to mind The BoDeans in their heyday. One of the odder tunes is the blips- and bleeps-oozing on "The Lost Complaint," a rich and sometimes lush pop song. The Damnwells again hit paydirt with the catchy roots pop of "New Dehli." Whether future albums head down a pop/rock or Americana path, this album is a near-perfect blend of both, as the delicious "Texas" proves.

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