Sadly, while fun, 'Sin & Tonic' is also rather forgetful.
Junkyard Drive is a band fresh out of Denmark with their debut album, 'Sin & Tonic'. I love the name – it feels fresh but slightly dirty – and the album immediately sounds like it's by the kind of band who makes a gig a hell of a place to be. Sadly, while fun, 'Sin & Tonic' is also rather forgetful.
'If You Wanna Rock Me' showcases their edgy, light-hearted sound; it is very lead guitar-focused and full of smiling charisma in Kris's vocals. He sounds over-stretched in 'Bone Dry Jessie', but there are fun, rippling melodies trailing the chorus. By the time 'Drama Queen' rolls around, it's getting a little predictable. The tone is always the same and the melodies decreasingly clear or catchy. There's a big chunk of bass missing a lot of the time, perhaps due to both a rhythm and lead guitar dominating the tracks.
Nevertheless, 'Natural High' is more promising. It's not the party piece of the album but there is something emotive about its pounding nature; it's almost cathartic. It grinds along, the vocals rasping with the guitar crunching the broken-up rhythm. 'Take It All' ramps up the pace again with an anthemic chorus and pumped-up backing vocals, all overlaying a hyperactive guitarist.
The next few tracks are pretty predictable, they're strong on eighties Hard Rock influences but lack anything really memorable. 'Geordie' is the only "ballad" on the album but it lacks a real hook to get your teeth into; overall, it feels stodgy. 'Slave To Technology' captures today's obsession with smartphones and is relevant and interesting yet still manages to feel unoriginal.
Junkyard Drive gives the impression that they could handle a crowd and whip up a gig no problem. Their album is packed with pace and plenty of Hard Rock sounds but, sadly, it lacks the bass and character to really round out the album.
Sophie Brownlee
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