DONDEREVO: Good science/ friendly gods

If Donderevo were a dessert, they would surely be banana Angel Delight. Not only is their music creamy and dreamy, but they are pretty darn tasty and no doubt look good covered in dream topping.
But smut and powdered puddings aside, this band (born with beards, apparently) were, while you were tinkling away on "My first keyboard", throwing theirs up against the wall to see what cruel and twisted sounds they could get out of it. And the result is their first LP release through Lizard King records, "Good Science/ Friendly Gods"
Swaggering unashamedly up to you, the album begins with "Distant Signal", a melodic kick up the arse so big you would swear they were trying to kick you up to the galaxies they're singing about. And just as you have got over this initial shock, they pick you up and throw you onto the next song. If the harmonies weren't there to cushion the blow, you may well spear yourself on an unforgiving guitar riff or two, that Weezer or The Rentals would be proud of. Not forgetting those keyboards. God only knows what they could do to a man.
Which is why the relief is great that they thought to put in a few quieter songs for the wimps and alcoholics amongst us (I say alcoholics because these tracks are perfect for four- day-long hangovers). "The Cassini Division" and "Double Etheric Diagnostic" were on repeat one weekend as the melodies put a cold flannel on my head and handed me some paracetomol. For those few minutes, you are floating above the Earth with the band (until the drum beat begins to pound on your head and then you're back down with a bump). The highlight of the album is, however, "Tonight We Steal the Stars". I don't know whether to laugh or cry every time I hear it. Just buy the god damn record because words cannot even describe how good that song is…

Although Donderevo aren't just about space and stars. You'll be glad to know they also like sex. In fact, they're dreaming about it. With girls you know and girls they know. But they're still not getting none. Personally, I doubt that's true. I don't know any red-blooded man/ woman/ beast that could listen to single "Jackie, what are you looking for?" without throwing themselves at their collective feet. It's a perfect mix of sexual energy/ tension and angst (not to mention an extremely groovy bassline)- the cheeky devils.
Of course, I wouldn't be realistic if I said that the whole album is amazing. They have a few songs which drone on a bit and, although there is probably one chuffed girl out there by the name of Lisa ("To Lisa" was perhaps written for her?), I feel they could have left it on "Eagles of Delaware", a rocking anthem and the singers most powerful performance to boot. After all, this is what these guys are good at. They are all about having fun and shaking that communal booty. This is a band that are waiting to kidnap you, take you to their Casio-fueled spaceship and plug electrodes into your head. They are taking no prisoners. I can't forget the damn songs and you won't either. All aboard for planet Donderevo…

Anna Claxton