Dave Goddess Group Something New
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
All things “retro” now seem to be in vogue, and most of them are pretty cheesy knockoffs of what used to be great or cool. That is definitely not the case with the debut album from the Dave Goddess Group. Something New actually is something new, yet will be immediately familiar to old-school classic rock fans. Definitely a tribute to, and not a rip-off of the old masters, Dave Goddess and his band make some fine old-style rock and deliver it with modern flair.
Any fan of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones or even ZZ Top will find something on this album that they can latch on to. DGG’s music is elemental in its simplicity – rock stripped down to its core and performed with passion and enthusiasm. Filled with touches of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, DGG blends in a few modern flourishes and delivers a dozen solid tracks that will appeal to just about anyone.
Hailing from the New York City area, the Dave Goddess Group has embraced the warmth of the past rather than the anger of the present or cold sterility of the future. Dave Goddess fronts the band, providing lead vocals, guitars, percussion and some keyboards. He has a somewhat tight and raspy voice, but it’s also is very expressive – perhaps an apt description would be Eddie Money’s tone delivered with some of Tom Petty’s soulful style. He also is a solid guitarist, working well with fellow guitarist Pete Cline. The two make an impressive team, delivering catchy, but never overwhelming, hooks and rhythms. Tom Brobst contributes his keyboards to the rhythms and tips his hat to The Boss and Jethro Tull when he pulls out the sax and flute. Bassist Mark Buschi and drummer Tom Bazylak provide a solid backbone the music, but they do much more than simple audio timekeeping – they actually PLAY their instruments well. The band’s teamwork is surprisingly solid for a debut recording.
Something New has a rich and warm feel to it, thanks to some superb engineering and the deft mix/mastering skills of the veteran Ed Stasium (who has worked with The Ramones, Talking Heads and The Smithereens to name a few). The mix is surprisingly clear for a “classic rock” album, but it maintains natural warmth and an almost “earthy” feel throughout.
Musical highlights include the great bouncy bass line of “Something New,” the fine guitars and vivid lyrical imagery of “Call Of The Wild,” the Springsteen-esque tone of the somewhat tongue-in-cheek “Sweet Miss Understanding,” the great bass-drums-keys rhythm line and simple words to “It’s About Love,” the biting truths discussed in “The First Lie, ” the hot guitars of “Wild And Willing,” and the rest of the entire album – not a stinker in the bunch.
If you like any of the old-school rock singer-storytellers, you definitely will enjoy the Dave Goddess Group. Something New is a fine debut effort filled with top-drawer musicianship, solid songwriting and a great sense of fun. The music is simple and basic; the lyrics are thought-provoking or purely entertaining without being crude, political or offensive, and the performance is enthusiastic and genuine.
As of this writing, the album’s title track is available as a free download at:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3283209/01%20Something%20New.mp3
Definitely check them out! The Dave Goddess Group will not disappoint.
Genre: Classic Rock
Band:
Dave Goddess (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion)
Pete Cline (guitars, backing vocals)
Mark Buschi (bass, backing vocals)
Tom Brobst (keyboards, saxophone, flute)
Tom Bazylak (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Something New
2. Call Of The Wild
3. Sweet Miss Understanding
4. Lucky Guy
5. It’s About Love
6. The First Lie
7. Love Over Blue
8. Wild And Willing
9. Better Man
10. Love Is A Mirror
11. Can’t Fight Sittin’ Down
12. I Can Dream
Label: Indie / September Gurl Music
Website: http://www.davegoddessgroup.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10