DANKO JONES

DANKO JONES have been serving up hard rock since the mid-'90s, and it's fantastic to see them still forging ahead. The band got their start in the Canadian hard rock scene and released their debut album, "My Love is Bold", in 1999, followed by 2002's "Born a Lion". From there, DANKO JONES really caught fire, as their follow-up album, 2003's "We Sweat Blood", earned them a Juno nomination and plenty of success in their homeland. Now, more than two decades later, DANKO JONES are still heavyweights on the scene, and have returned with a new studio album, "Electric Sounds", which marks their follow-up to 2021's "Power Trio".

Listening from top to bottom, "Electric Sounds" fits very much in line with DANKO JONES's carefully crafted sound. It's an easy addition to their discography and compliments their other releases with a similar sound and style. That said, the songs of "Electric Sounds" are a bit more upbeat and faster-paced than their previous efforts, making this a party-ready record.

"Guess Who's Back" is an obvious choice to kick off the album. Coming in at under three minutes, the song packs a heavy album-launching punch. "Good Time" follows, which is one of the strongest songs on the set. This is a catchy, upbeat number with punk-fueled guitars and Jones's powerful, gritty-sounding vocals. The album's title track, a jammy number that begs to be performed live, follows, bringing the heaviest guitars and vocal delivery on the album. Another surprisingly heavy song of the set is "She's My Baby", featuring Tyler Stewart of BARENAKED LADIES. With a song title like "She's My Baby", one might expect a heartfelt ballad, but instead, this song is a fiery hard rock anthem with harsh vocals and distorted guitars.

Elsewhere, "Eye for an Eye" is another short, brisk number, at under three minutes, with a fast-paced, guitar-heavy basis and Jones's tumultuous vocals. For those who love the punkier side of DANKO JONES, "What Goes Around" saves the day with a punky riff and a fast-paced vocal delivery that's super fun and very punk.

"Electric Sounds", featuring Daniel Dekay from Canadian thrash legends EXCITER, has attitude and guts. It's a brash, in-your-face collection of hard rock that's somehow still fun and optimistic. The party has started, and, without venturing too far from their characteristic sound, DANKO JONES are here to rock hard live it up.