[rating=4]
Django Django have been kicking up a storm in the music world recently. So drought hardened are we for new guitar led rock/pop music that every droplet is sucked up in the hope of much needed revitalisation.
So do Django Django, the Edinburgh four piece with their eponymous album, deliver a much needed respite from the barren wastes of 80’s Electronica?
Well, yes.
Although their sound is saturated with the reverb-heavy chants and baggy psychedelic loops of the much loved but sadly defunct Beta Band, they offer something much fresher, faster and infinitely more danceable.
Unashamedly eclectic, influences become a canvas on which to add a new palette of acoustics, effects and instruments. ‘Firewater’ uses what becomes a signature throughout (high tempo handclaps) fused with Glam Rock guitars reminiscent of T-Rex. ‘Life’s A Beach’ could be self-referential with Beach Boys harmonies (and the sound of waves in the background of course) whilst ‘Wor’ makes full use of the Dick Dale guitar canon.
Elsewhere, each track explores a variation on a theme. Onomatopoeic titles offer the sound of the song as well as the theme: ‘Hail Bop’ is an upbeat stomp with sonic swirls and pounding guitar riffs and ‘Waveforms’ has a sweeping synth keyboard, drum slaps and a rhythm section that drops from under your feet then crashes back again picking you up with it.
They also experiment with sounds which give you a sense of place: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ has a middle eastern theme, ’Love’s Dart’ is awash with tribal beats and in ‘Zumm Zumm’ there’s a sample that sounds like a fairground carousel.
This is clever (without being worthy), multi-layered and most of all enjoyable music. Each song has a musical backbone that pulls you in and keeps you listening, toe-tapping and head nodding throughout.
And as for those handclaps that run through every song – Django Django better get used to that sound outside of the studio as well as in.
Review by Selina Ream