Don Broco are back with another album full of lads anthems, whilst the musicianship stronger than ever this time around.
Technology combines both sides of the London band; Priorities’ strutting rock ‘n’ roll via power pop stomp and Automatic’s indie sensibility, cleverer vocal melodies and cleaner guitar – each of these elements are found on Technology, along with a host of new approaches.
This split style is demonstrated from the first few seconds of the album opener, the eponymous Technology, which transitions from 80’s synth to guitar riffs heavier than those found on the latest Bring Me The Horizon release within seconds, with a perfectly implemented piano, violin and vocal harmony section coming in later.
Don Broco are one of a small stable of British rock bands, also including Deaf Havana and Enter Shikari, who manage to add to their basic setup without coming across cheesy or amateurish; “Stay Ignorant” features a host of interesting instrumentation including what sounds like cabasas in a groovy, tropical sounding track, whilst “T-Shirt Song” features a small saxophone break which adds depth to an already fantastic, hooky rock song.
The lyrics retain Rob Diamani’s ability to tell stark, 21st century-lad stories and remain really catchy, whilst his life experience is leading to more interesting stories than picking up girls in bars.
“Come Out To LA” seems to tell something of an autobiographical tale, with Diamani singing “I’m praying that my feet don’t fail me now,” amidst an interweaving “Keep the faith.” The tracks harsher vocals seem to tell the tale from a Hollywood Executives view: “Come out to LA/Play a few shows/Maybe you can break/Down in Hollywood.”
Most refreshingly, the band have actually become heavier than they were on their previous record. Technology reinstates the grittiness the riffs had on their debut that was missing almost entirely from Automatic.
Technology puts a new spin on a sound some thought wore out, but it doesn’t let it’s experimentation outweigh its hooks.
