Dananananaykroyd
There Is a Way
Release Date: Jun 13, 2011
Genre(s):
Record label: Pizza College
Music Critic Score
How the Music Critic Score works
Album Review: There Is a Way by Dananananaykroyd
Very Good, Based on 7 Critics
Based on rating 4.0/5
Review Summary: These unique Scots add some muscle to their self-proclaimed fight-pop.When Dananananaykroyd caught the music world's attention back in 2009 with their ludicrous name and ridiculously self-labeled genre of fight-pop, everything about them screamed "gimmicky flash in the pan". More comfortable in the live format (including a Wall of Cuddles and occasional injuries to band members), the unique Scottish sextet built up a cult following by playing a wildly chaotic and exuberantly loose amalgam of indie-pop and post-hardcore. It is almost disorienting then that their second LP 'There Is A Way' begins with ninety odd seconds of tight, driving rhythms that are accompanied by a gloriously melodic guitar line.
Based on rating 8/10
Fight pop you say? We'll take it... Well, doesn’t Ross Robinson get about these days? Fresh from bashing out the latest street-level banger from rap supremo Hyro Da Hero, here he is again, manning the controls for the infinitely less ghetto Dananananaykroyd. Thankfully, this superficially bizarre pairing makes perfect sense the minute album opener ‘Reboot’ cruises into high gear in a flurry of razor-sharp drumming, deliciously hypnotic guitar phrasing, and those alternately frantic / anthemic dual vocals, before lobbing in a fat old riff and screaming itself hoarse.
Based on rating 7/10
In the two years that have passed since Dananananaykroyd released their debut album Hey Everyone!, many facets of civilisation have changed and yet their name is still a chore to type out in full and even more so to spell check. It is this kind of obstinance that informs There Is A Way, asserting it as the Glaswegian six-piece’s definitive statement but ultimately constricting it to the fight-pop mould which the world is pretty familiar with already. Despite the quirky genre Dananananaykroyd created for themselves, there was nothing gob-smackingly fresh about this hyperactive bunch, except perhaps the enthusiasm which they ploughed into their output.
Based on rating 3.5/5
Dananananaykroyd reckon their new record sounds like Prince. They also say that it sounds a bit krautrock, is full of fist-in-the-air moments, and was recorded in LA while American Movie played out on a loop in the background. Everything they say is true.If you’ve not seen American Movie, shame on you. It’s the greatest documentary ever made.
Based on rating 6/10
Self-describing their sound as "fight-pop," the impossible-to-type Scottish six-piece Dananananaykroyd stay true to their word on second album There Is a Way, which appears to be waging a war against staying in tune, coherent lyrics, and the concept of subtlety on 12 anarchic tracks that attempt to pummel listeners into submission. An acquired taste they may be, but those who thought that producer Ross Robinson's previous collaborations (Slipknot, At the Drive-In) were a little too tame may feel that Christmas has come early, thanks to the unrelenting barrage of frenetic rhythms, the ear-splitting guitar riffs, and the distinctive yelping dual Glaswegian vocals of Calum Gunn and John Baillie Junior, as evident on opener "Reboot," which picks up where 2009 predecessor Hey Everyone! left off; the appropriately named "E Numbers," whose bratty and hyperactive nature suggests the bandmembers have been indulging themselves in one too many of the food additives; and the blistering post-hardcore of "Seven Days Late. " However, occasionally the boisterous outfit deviates from the bombastic default setting to produce something approaching a melody.
Based on rating 5/10
I think Dananananaykroyd might be the UK’s most entertaining live band. The gleeful energy, the clever mathy riffs, dual lead singers Calum and John leaping into and embracing the audience, the infamous ‘Wall of Cuddles’ – with a lively crowd, it’s endlessly fun and memorable. But of course the challenge for any great “live band” is whether or not their records can induce the same reaction.
Opinion: Excellent
Impressive second album from lively Scottish rockers. Si Hawkins 2011 This Glasgow-formed sextet made a sizeable impact back in 2008, despite a career plan that bordered on self-sabotage. First they picked one of the most difficult-to-spell band names in rock history – Dan Aykroyd was one of the world’s most misspelled actors already – then developed a live show so raucous that injuries regularly resulted.