Album Reviews by Mark Bayross and Annabel Bayross
Review by Mark Bayross
They have a lead singer called Jimmy Christmas! They shun razors and wear black! Their last single was called ROCK N’ ROLL MOTHERFUCKER! …This must be garage rock! Welcome to The D4, New Zealand’s addition to the current influx of ultra-cool, retro guitar-slingers currently wowing you girls and boys.
Yes, we’re talking classic, low-down, dirty grooves, a collision of Stooges swagger with the high octane riffs of the Ramones and the full-on squall of Jon Spencer…nothing spectacularly new, but if it works for The Hives, The White Stripes and The Strokes, then it doesn’t take an enormous leap of faith to assume The D4 should be onto a winner.
Comprising nine songs plus three covers (Johnny Thunders’ PIRATE LOVE, Scavengers’ MYSTEREX and Guitar Wolf’s INVADER ACE), 6TWENTY upholds the current trend for short but sweet garage rock albums, clocking in at just under 40 minutes. When you add in the fact that COME ON! dates back to 1999 and three of the tracks here have already been released on singles, you can conclude that The D4 aren’t the most prolific of songwriters.
Not that that really matters. They cram a hell of a lot into those 40 minutes (Hammond organ, numerous drum rolls, the occasional frenzied guitar solo), and their tightly-locked grooves suggest that they must be an incendiary live act. Plus they save the best for last – the closing HEARTBREAKER manages to fuse an elastic Joy Division-style bass with a groundswell of volcanic guitars, building to a crescendo that ends the album perfectly.
The D4 have already amassed a devoted following over the other side of the globe and their UK live shows are already starting to get rave reviews. On the strength of this album, it won’t be long before the same happens here.
Review by Annabel Bayross
Their style has been likened to that of The Hives but The D4 are something more unique. This New Zealand band are rawer than most of their counterparts. This is garage punk at its best. During late 1998 the band started out in Auckland – the boys began by touring pubs and playing at parties. In 1999, the band released their first four track EP. Three years on, following the success of their last single ROCK N ROLL MOTHERFUCKER, The D4 have just released their debut album 6TWENTY.
This is a speedy little offering – the twelve tracks on the album, totaling just less than 40 minutes in length, is actually quite a pleasant surprise. The music is very refined but at the same time quite brutal in sound. PARTY is a quality tune, very paced but upbeat. By the time it’s got you going, it’s over in an abrupt flash. The three covers on the album, PIRATE LOVE, MYSTEREX & INVADER ACE seem to stand out as more retro music. The rhythm to PIRATE LOVE especially, has a groovy flair.
Mostly all the songs begin with a fast, strong drum roll and fat guitar riffs – The D4 seem to follow a set formula that works. Jimmy Christmas, the vocalist, sounds as though he is yelling the lyrics but in a quiet restrained voice. Each song off the album stands well on it’s own but as a collection – the entire impression is a little too alike. Many of the tunes have repetitive lyrics and therefore become a bit too indiscernible. The final track HEARTBREAKER is different from the previous ones. It begins slowly but purposefully. Christmas sings the words with a bitter and angry voice; the music surrounds the lyrics and builds to a climax. There is a culmination of sounds and then a fitting, conclusive ending to a well-executed song.
This album is fresh, polished and positive. Hopefully we will see more good things to come from this band as they grow and flourish.
