The D4
6TWENTY
Hollywood
The D4 is supposedly the next “savior of rock.” The hype machine behind them is incredibly powerful and overwhelming, so watch yourself! I guess that you could say The D4 plays aggressive garage rock, but that would be too simple a description; it’s more like an authentic type of blues-based punk rock than anything else. People will try to stick 6TWENTY in the same category as The Strokes. That would be a mistake, as The Strokes cannot hold a candle to what The D4 have done on this record.
This is one of the most purely energetic records I have heard in years. Many bands can fake energy on an album (e.g. AFI, At The Drive In), but rarely does it actually come off as authentic. The D4 seem to attack their instruments with fury and passion, making this collection of rockers instantly enjoyable. From the title and aggression of the album’s first track, “Rock & Roll, Motherfucker,” they announce their presence with both authority and pomp.
In terms of the actual sound of the album, the guitars are really grainy, giving what is a major label release a somewhat lo-fi feel. The vocalist is a total spazz, and he kind of reminds me of Ian Svenonius of The Make-Up, not in sound, but in attitude. I would have liked to have heard the drums up in the mix, but the level they are at is acceptable; it might have destroyed me had the drums been perfect, too.
What I’m trying to say is that the hype machine behind this one is warranted: these guys are really good. Many of you will already have this album when you read this review. Those of you who don’t, I can’t think of a better summer record to which to rock out. This is a superb piece of rock.
Hollywood Records: http://hollywoodrecords.go.com/ • The D4: http://www.thed4.net/
