(Dew Process/Universal)

Glaswegian ‘fight pop’ band battle to stand out

With a name like Dananananaykroyd (a quirky cross between the name of actor Dan Aykroyd and the ‘60s Batman theme song), one might expect Hey Everyone! to contain an inventive blend of pop-rock with positive indie vibes that we seem to be  hearing a lot of. And although a mix of spiky pop-rock and indie is exactly what you get from this young Scottish troupe on their debut album, to call it unique would be a bit too gracious (see: The Grates, Operator Please, Los Campesinos, Fight Like Apes, et al…). The partnership of two vocalists can often create a tuneful blend of contrasting voices, but co-fronts Calum Gunn and John Baillie Junior fail to achieve this beneficial contrast – the result being a sound that feels all too familiar. Vocals aside, the generally upbeat tone of the album does induce a mild sense of euphoria, encouraging more than just a rhythmic tapping of the foot. However, the energy of tracks like Black Wax and Infinity Milk give the impression that the band’s full potential to entertain can only really be achieved during a live show (bring on Splendour). When it comes to lyrics, Dananananaykroyd either go for metaphors or phrases that make little sense – either way, it’s always urgent and cartoon-aggressive. Themes of ‘rebelling’ and ‘battling’ are pretty common for bands of this type, and their inclusion is just another aspect that fails in the originality department. But hey, originality isn’t everything, and although Hey Everyone! probably won’t be a Gen Y classic, for a debut it’s certainly entertaining.

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SHANNON STONE

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