Russell HughesDon Broco – Technology (Sharp Tone Records)
Genre: Rock
What are Don Broco? What type of music do they play? You’d suspect that even their biggest fans might struggle to present a clear argument for a particular genre.
The band continue to blur the lines between Imagine Dragons style pop and big guitar rock and it’s a sound that takes a little time to get used to.
For the traditional rock fan, Don Broco might sound like everything that’s gone wrong with the genre. They will probably be eternally frustrated by the group’s refusal to cut lose and will view the massive, frustratingly brief, guitar solo at the end of Technology is evidence towards this.
But approach this album with an open mind and it’ll start to worm its way into your ears and into your life until you develop a greater understanding of why people enjoy listening to the band.
Just like Twin Atlantic have rocked-down and popped-up, the third album is 70% pop and 30% rock with your traditional mix of love-sick lyrics and preppy chorus lines.
The more interesting bits of the record come when Rob Damiani starts to pick apart modern society, as he does on the first song of the album – a tirade against modern technology and how it’s taken over life.
It’s followed by Stay Ignorant, a tune that was inspired by a Netflix documentary about the White Helmets – a volunteer humanitarian force. As well as delving into difficult subjects, it develops razor sharp criticism of ignorance to wider issues and wraps it in an unusual combination of electro-pop-fuzz and fizzing guitar licks.
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There is also a dig at the music industry in the form of Come To L.A. as well as how people view attractiveness on Pretty.
This is a new version of Don Broco. It’s a band doing what they want without fearing the consequences. They don’t have a generic, out-the-box sound and that delights and frustrates in equal measure. Technology isn’t for everyone, but everyone should give Technology a chance.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7/10 The Don of their own path