There’s something unidentifiably listenable about Django Django’s self titled album and whatever it is, it’s got us good. There may not be a huge amount of crazy stand-out tracks as such, although a fair amount of them are class, but as a solid unit it’s got a lot going for it.
With a slightly brooding, jungleific Introduction, Dajango Django starts out with quality written all over it. Flowing neatly into the early-Embrace of Hail Bop you suddenly get the sense that you’ll be listening to a flick switch of variation throughout the album. This is even more apparent as the brit-pop is pierced by laser beam flashes out of nowhere that manage to fit their baggy surroundings well.
The album continues at pace with the marching jungle funk of Default, which is one of the London band’s best songs from the album. The lyrics are clever and the electro overlays and vocal effects make it feel like a light-speed look-back.
Firewater has great rhythm with hints of acoustic blues guitar blended with Django Django’s trademark electro sound mixes. There’s a North African desert call to the song, confirming the fusion that makes up the album.
Waveforms has an addictive percussion that flows with the vocals like they were born in the same soaring mountain-scape. More Aftro-beats flitter throughout continuing the brilliant rhythm that dominates.
Zumm Zumm opens up with tongue in cheek textures, but carries it off with strong vocals, and Hand of Man is a slow acoustic with clip-clop drum machine backing, making a timely change of direction with sophisticated simplicity.
Love’s Dart takes the trek in a wilder direction with flashes of gun smoke in the spaghetti western background and WOR, which you can take a listen to in the music video below, opens out with a surf guitar, police chase soundtrack and Indiana drums mash-up.
Storm is slightly art pop, but struggles a little to hold your attention, Life’s A Beach returns with surf guitar with the addition of cool maracas and bells, and Skies Over Cairo confirms the North African influence that runs throughout Django Django with a brilliant elongated instrumental of pyramidic proportions.
Django Django finishes off a new modern classic with Silver Rays, but to be honest Skies Over Cairo would have been a more impressive closer. However, that’s just a personal preference and takes nothing away from a sparkling new band, sound construction and direction for music in general.
Django Django, Django Django album review: 4.5/5
