After a string of single releases, a sold out show at Alexandra Palace and a few innovative music videos, Bedford band Don Broco, have officially released Technology, their long awaited third studio album. The band has been teasing the album’s release since they put out a video to ‘Everybody’ back in July 2016 and have released six singles off the ’16 album since. The release of the singles has presubscribed the album with an assortment of musical tracks, each one being different to the next. Each single has been accompanied by a music video, which are all a mix of humour and horror, linked to each other by a mythical cowboy. The first section of the album is made up of the eclectic mix of singles leaving the rest to be made up of the ten new songs.
The album has once again proven the band’s knack at musical experimentation but still echo parts of their previous works; this includes their first two albums as well as their earlier EP’s Big Fat Smile and Thug Workout. Technology doesn’t stretch too far away from the band’s original sound while still sounding fresh and innovative. Although they’ve matured since the days of Thug Workout, Technology still resonates the same laddish tone. Whilst the themes of the album are seemingly unlinked, the album’s opener ‘Technology’ is the perfect song to set the tone of what to expect. The band have never seemed to take their lyrics too seriously and this certainly hasn’t changed as the opening ‘Technology’ humorously comments on the modern age of social media and the incessant need to put everything online. The fact that they don’t feel the necessity to get too serious and focus more on having fun plays out in the diversity of the tunes you’ll come across on the album.
It’s worth taking some time to watch the playful videos the band created that cultivates the same enjoyment mirrored in the album
After the well-received reception drummer Matt Donnelly’s vocals had in Automatic, I’m not surprised and am happy that they make a comeback in the new album. A stand out song amongst the rest ‘Come Out To LA’ gives Donnelly his moment but doesn’t do so in a way that undermines Rob Damiani’s leading vocals. The combination of the two adds depth to the other tracks throughout the recording as they’re both so incredibly dissimilar. Moving on from the singles including ‘T-Shirt’ and ‘Pretty’, the band introduces one of the new tracks, ‘The Blues’, a song reminiscent of a similar sound in Automatic. ‘Got To Be You’ carries a similar vibe with a chorus like ‘I Got Sick’, which slows things down a bit in comparison to the instrumentally heavier songs. The ninth track on the album, ‘Greatness’, can be portrayed as the pinnacle of the fun the lads seem to have had creating the album. A mix of old school beats and backing vocals similar to a horror movie theme tune, this song is by far one of the best on the album. The attractive beat is complimented by the simple yet Don Broco-esque lyrics ”Give me fucking greatness’’. It’s followed on by the humorous track ‘Porkies’ and ‘Good Listener’ which acts like an interlude before the last few tracks of the album.
Reaching the end of the album ‘Potty Mouth’ is the climax song the band needed to ensure the upbeat sound didn’t full flat on its ending. I wouldn’t normally favor the use of ‘La La La’ but the switch between Donnelly and Damiani’s vocals ensure it doesn’t become too repetitive. Yet, without paying attention to the tracklist, it’s easy to miss the ending. Timed at almost seven minutes long, the track is interrupted by a three-minute break before finishing off with what we can assume is a not too serious 30-second accapella version of ‘Something to Drink’. As a whole, the album offers a wide-ranging mix of Damiani’s raw vocals, heavy instrumentals and a play on the electro vibe carried through from Automatic. It’s worth taking some time to watch the playful videos the band created that cultivates the same enjoyment mirrored in the album. Also, its heavier sound means it’s almost certainly better played out loud.
