Album Review: Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue - Danko Jones

For Fans Of: The Hellacopters, The Exies

Genre: Hard Rock

Danko Jones' Top Tracks: Full of Regret, Just a Beautiful Day, I Think Bad Thoughts, Lovercall, Code of the Road

With a growing track record of successful albums and a new drummer with an impressive resume, Danko Jones release another great vintage rock album imbued with punk influence, Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue.

Simple hard rock rules this album with catchy melodies, worthy of some sing along, fit into prevalent song structures. For long time fans, this album is exactly what you should expect, “attitude-filled blues infused rock n roll from start to finish” (melodic.net). For those new to Danko Jones, enjoy the ride. They aren't breaking any new ground with their music and they definitely aren't trying to. Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue is a great listen with immature lyrics about sex built into lively rock n roll.

The album opens powerfully with “Terrified”, a great energy-builder with a Volbeat-like riff. At times, Danko's voice feels too weak for this type of song. However, the second track follows to continue the intensity. “Get Up” is a mix of “Tick Tick Boom” by The Hives and “Cold Hard Bitch” by Jet, which is definitely a compliment. “Legs” is too repetitive to listen to in its entirety, but “Just a Beautiful Day” picks up the slack as a clever choice as the album's single.

“You Wear Me Down” is a refreshing, modern take on Led Zeppelin and “Conceited” resembles heavier Foo Fighters songs such as “All My Life” and so is a promising hit for their live show. The album's end includes the godless, profane “I Believed In God” with a gospel choir and is actually one of my favorites. The album overall is a great listen and worthy of the purchase, however some may hope that the band will evolve in the near future rather than playing it safe like they did here, especially with their experience.

Rating: 7/10 Very Good