Over nearly 15 years, Danko Jones has gained many friends in high places and been the subject of books and documentaries. That he’s a dogged and tenacious star has never been in doubt.
Continuing where he/they left off, Rock & Roll Is Black & Blue is brimming with the type of tumescent riffs Jones’s trio is famous for, with Get Up and You Wear Me Down exploring the same sonic terrain and salacious subject matter – sex and the pursuit of it, mainly – as ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy.
With Adam Willard of Rocket From The Crypt/The Offspring now in the ranks, they sound as tight as ever, yet the songs just feel a little obvious. Expected, even. Because unlike the aforementioned R&B garage punks RFTC, Danko Jones exudes too much bluster and not quite enough soul. I Believed In God is a fine Foo Fighters-shaped anthem, but The Masochist is too generic to hold attention.
Fans ponder why Danko Jones isn’t massive. They might be left wondering a bit longer – this isn’t his best album.
