Album Review
The Danish band the Breakers DK (they had to add the "DK" to differentiate themselves from other bands named "the Breakers") speak the international language of rock & roll. The hip-shakin', hand-clappin' rock & roll associated with bands like the Faces and the young Rolling Stones, as well as more recent practitioners like the Black Crowes, is the rough-edged, R&B-inspired sound that has been blaring out from bar stages for decades. The Breakers DK have soaked up all of their traditional rock influences and distilled them into highly energetic, highly entertaining tunes. Kicking off the disc is one of their finest efforts, "Dance the Go-Go," a sweaty little number guaranteed to get your feet moving. It's a song that would have fit in snugly on the Crowes' Shake Your Money Maker. On tracks like "Tried So Hard" and "Cold, Cold Winter," singer Toke Nisted makes explicit his Rod Stewart vocal tendencies. "Tried So Hard," in particularly, stands as a terrific soul-rock ballad that harkens back to Stewart's early-'70s solo outings. Raucous rockers "Get Lost Get High Get Sick" and "No Sentimental Rubbish" flash some of the trashy rock swagger of the New York Dolls, while a bit of the Dolls' Lower East Side successors the Del Lords can be heard in the gritty pop that "Tip of My Tongue" packs. Although the lyrics aren't especially strong (of course, English isn't their native language), they do nail their sound down. Guitarists Anders Bruus, Lukas Scherfig and Daniel Hecht strike the right balance of hooks and noise while drummer Mikkel Hald and bassist Jackie Larsen form a formidable rhythm section. Far from a joke, Here for a Laugh resonates as a hard-rocking, good-timing effort. It will be interesting to see if next time out, they can dial down their love for their influences and create something a bit more original sounding.
