DON BROCO // "TECHNOLOGY" - ALBUM REVIEW
After a successful sold out show at London’s Alexandra Palace at the end of 2017, Bedford four piece Don Broco are pushing boundaries with third studio album “Technology”.
DON BROCO - "TECHNOLOGY" - RELEASED FRIDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2018
★★★★★★★★★☆ (9/10)
First impressions of Technology come even before you press play. The album artwork itself is definitely a good representation of what Don Broco are going for as the album features a mash up of genres and styles that I feel not many other bands could pull off. From heavy modern sounding riffs to beats and grooves that wouldn’t sound out of place if they were released back in the 80’s, this is an album that has something for everyone, and with 16 tracks there is plenty of music to go around.
Having been a fan of Don Broco since before the release of debut album “Priorities” it’s been fascinating seeing the development of their sound over the years and every release has seen a logical musical progression. Technology builds on these foundations again and introduces some new aspects and ideas to keep things fresh.
The first track on the album, also named “Technology”, kicks things off with some electronic drums and into a great sounding guitar riff. Alternating vocals between lead singer Rob Damiani and drummer Matt Donnelly the song builds with a big sounding chorus and a heavy breakdown to finish. Don Broco aren’t shy of a good chorus as there are plenty of them throughout the album.
The next few tracks on the album are singles that the band have released on the run up to the album coming out. “Stay Ignorant” features some electronic sounding bass and “T-Shirt Song” introduces some brass instrumentation and a lovely guitar solo later in the song and I found myself singing the catchy chorus line “I wouldn’t be who I’d be without you” on more than one occasion.
Up next is “Come Out To LA” and “Pretty” with the former featuring Donnelly taking over lead vocals in the verses and a bass line that is sounds more like their last album “Automatic”. Pretty takes things heavier again with a groovy riff and lyrics that will be stuck in your head. Both these songs also have fantastic videos which you should definitely check out.
“The Blues” keeps things going with a great combination of electronic bass sounds and the duo of guitarist Simon Delaney and bassist Tom Doyle delivering some great tight sounding riffs and is definitely a highlight for me on
the album. “Tightrope” comes next with its funky verse and is a track where Damiani shows off the extent of his vocal range with some higher verses and powerful chorus.
Also included on the album is “Everybody” which was our first taste of Technology back in 2016 before the album was even revealed and it still sounds good today and fits well within the album. Up next is “Greatness” which is possibly my favourite track on the album delivering a driving bass line and a ton of cowbell with catchy chorus lyrics that have stayed stuck in my head.
Taking us back to their older sound, “Porkies” definitely has a hint of Queen around it in the verses and an aggressive in your face chorus. The next track is the opposite however as “Got to Be You” may still be down tuned, but definitely shows the softer side of the band’s songwriting and is another great song. Picking up the pace again with “Good Listener” the driving bass intro gathers momentum into a fast chorus with the line “thanks a bunch for listening to me” speaking about modern technology and how it’s always listening to us and is a song I can see being a favourite on the live stage.
Technology features a number of excellent bass lines with Doyle also finding a beautiful tone that is great to listen to, especially on “¥” which shows this off very well and closes with a very dirty riff. Coming to the end of the album, “Something to Drink” is a slow burner and is possibly my least favourite song on the album, but still has an excellent vocal performance from Damiani. Penultimate track “Blood in the Water” brings back the energy again and closing track “Potty Mouth” blends a heavy bass line with electronic precision and is an excellent way to finish off the album.
Technology is an excellent album overall and brings a lot of new ideas forward, letting Don Broco push the boundaries of their sound into new territory and should sound massive on their upcoming UK tour.