DAN REED NETWORK
DRN... Dumpy's Rusty Nuts? Jeez, whatever happened to those guys; the cult Brit rockers of yore? I'm still none the wiser, as the aptly titled 'Fight Another Day' is actually the brand new studio album from the stateside DRN; the onetime funk rock purveyors, Dan Reed Network. Putting the band on ice in 1993 after an amicable agreement to go on indefinite hiatus, DRN had three studio albums to their name, as well as a string of prestigious support slots, including opening on tours for both Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones. Reactivated since 2012 to celebrate their 25th anniversary, sporadic touring and festival appearances have since ensued, a corollary of which seems to have been a reignited desire to make new music... hence, 'Fight Another Day'.
DRN's last studio album, 'The Heat', appeared in 1991, so twenty five years is something of a whopping gap between releases. However, the band's original, core lineup remains largely intact - Dan Reed; Brion James; Melvin Brannon II and Dan Pred. Only keys man Blake Sakamoto is not present, and has been replaced by Rob Daiker from Reed's solo band. So, expectations are primed for something akin to the classic DRN sound... and they do not disappoint. Encapsulating a sonic effluence of 80s charms in every bar of music, this is the real deal. Forget the scene's current influx of retro pastiche acts and their surface mimicry; this is precisely where it's at - Dan Reed Network's new tunes have an authentic depth that's both genuinely heartfelt and with a palpable 80s pulse.
Songs are loaded with strong, infectious melodies throughout, that'll have you humming their central motifs long after you hit the stop button. Hitting anthemic peaks on occasion (notably, 'Divided'; 'Infected'; 'Reunite'), DRN prove they still have an inherent songwriting astuteness for penning commercial stadium rockers. And their core rock sound, while cognitively unchallenging, has been seasoned with just enough soul and funk flavours to stir the emotions, but without the soul or funk ever dominating the compositions and arrangements. In fact, genre contemplations aside, this is, more straightforwardly, some wonderfully written music.
Vocally, 'Fight Another Day' also shines. Reed's voice has such a warm-toned, authenticity to it, and a kind of 'carefree' vibe, that not only blends to perfection with the instrumentations, but also elevates songs into subtly uplifting territory, to the point where DRN's rediscovered passion and optimism for making music is wholly discernible. This all adds to the album's charms. As does the fantastic production, and each song's textured layers radiate through a finely blended mix. What's not to like? Dan Reed Network are back to fight another day and, based solely on their new music, it's a fight they're emphatically winning thus far.
DRN's last studio album, 'The Heat', appeared in 1991, so twenty five years is something of a whopping gap between releases. However, the band's original, core lineup remains largely intact - Dan Reed; Brion James; Melvin Brannon II and Dan Pred. Only keys man Blake Sakamoto is not present, and has been replaced by Rob Daiker from Reed's solo band. So, expectations are primed for something akin to the classic DRN sound... and they do not disappoint. Encapsulating a sonic effluence of 80s charms in every bar of music, this is the real deal. Forget the scene's current influx of retro pastiche acts and their surface mimicry; this is precisely where it's at - Dan Reed Network's new tunes have an authentic depth that's both genuinely heartfelt and with a palpable 80s pulse.
Songs are loaded with strong, infectious melodies throughout, that'll have you humming their central motifs long after you hit the stop button. Hitting anthemic peaks on occasion (notably, 'Divided'; 'Infected'; 'Reunite'), DRN prove they still have an inherent songwriting astuteness for penning commercial stadium rockers. And their core rock sound, while cognitively unchallenging, has been seasoned with just enough soul and funk flavours to stir the emotions, but without the soul or funk ever dominating the compositions and arrangements. In fact, genre contemplations aside, this is, more straightforwardly, some wonderfully written music.
Vocally, 'Fight Another Day' also shines. Reed's voice has such a warm-toned, authenticity to it, and a kind of 'carefree' vibe, that not only blends to perfection with the instrumentations, but also elevates songs into subtly uplifting territory, to the point where DRN's rediscovered passion and optimism for making music is wholly discernible. This all adds to the album's charms. As does the fantastic production, and each song's textured layers radiate through a finely blended mix. What's not to like? Dan Reed Network are back to fight another day and, based solely on their new music, it's a fight they're emphatically winning thus far.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Frontiers Records
Album
FIGHT ANOTHER DAY
Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
57:31
RELEASE DATE:
3rd June 2016
TRACK LISTING
1) Divided; 2) The Brave
3) Infected; 4) Champion
5) Ignition
6) Give It Love
7) B There With U
8) Save the World
9) Eye of the Storm
10) Reunite
11) Heaven
12) Sharp Turn
13) Stand Tall
3) Infected; 4) Champion
5) Ignition
6) Give It Love
7) B There With U
8) Save the World
9) Eye of the Storm
10) Reunite
11) Heaven
12) Sharp Turn
13) Stand Tall
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"Forget the scene's current influx of retro pastiche acts and their surface mimicry; this is precisely where it's at - Dan Reed Network's new tunes have an authentic depth that's both genuinely heartfelt and with a palpable 80s pulse."
