DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB BACKGROUND

Detroit Social Club are an indie rock band from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England formed in 2007. They have been tipped to achieve national success by several British music magazines. They are signed to Fiction Records. Detroit Social Club’s first single, “Rivers and Rainbows”, was released in September 2008 on a limited edition 7″ with the B-side, “Silver”. On 30 March 2009, the band released their second single, “Sunshine People”, on 7″ and download. The band toured extensively across the United Kingdom during 2009, supporting such acts as Primal Scream, Razorlight and The Futureheads and Oasis.

Self-described as “Analogue experimentation of the modern kind. Retro-Big beat-Gospel influenced-junkie folk, made in 1970s New York”, the band take influences from the likes of De La Soul, The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. Frontman David Burn told Q magazine that rather than referring to him as the band’s song-writer he considers himself “a vibe creator, the words and what other people relate to, like the songs, that’s just the sprinkles on top of the music I’ve spent ages doing.”

THE BAND

David Burn - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Songs
Dale Knight - Keys, Guitar, Bass
David Welsh - Guitars
Johnny Bond - Guitars, Sitar, Noises
Chris McCourtie - Bass, Guitars
David Green - Drums/Percussion

This record reminds how critically important production really is in transposing an act’s music and words to plastic. Back in 2007 I received a single and thought it was amazing. The Detroit Social Club’s sound was edgy and organic with precious few ’sound tricks.’ It was raw, earthy, bluesy, honest and wholly compelling. I then was the only journalist to venture out to their Liverpool Sound City show just over a year ago, and they confirmed to me what I had earlier felt - this is a great band, with superb songs and a formidable lead-man in David Burn. At that gig the band gave away an EP of 4/5 songs which raised my expectations to even greater heights - and I thought that a full-length album could not be too far away. Hell, I couldn’t wait…

Well, the album eventually arrived, over twelve months later, and with a major and worrying surprise. And that surprise is nicely summed up in the album’s opening track, ‘Kiss The Sun.’ Rather strange and scary cosmic noises introduce the song before the band’s distinctive powerful drum rhythm arrived together with Burn’s vocal. And I really thought I was listening to another band! It’s a typically great song, full of meaning and melody but all becoming murky in massive, overblown production that only succeeded in masking one brilliant song. I was worried. Then ‘Northern Man’ chips in with violins, Spector-esque production that turns it into a n unnecessary rock symphony and again the important and relevant messages are lost in a sonic hurricane. I’m really worried now. ‘Black & White’ has a killer ocean-deep drum beat backdrop with some of that dreadful vocal echo-chamber distortion removed to make way for a brilliant, hard-hitting vocal performance from Burn. It’s another winning song but this time allowed to show itself in (almost) unsullied production form. But it’s not all a bed of roses because late in song production nearly fucks the whole thing up with extraneous noises off and pro-tools.

‘Chemistry’ is another slam-dunk of a song with an absolute powerfouse of a melody and moving lyrics, but production almost destroys it by throwing the kitchen sink at it and badly fogging the band’s intent. Even the familiar and super-wonderful ‘Sunshine People’ cannot escape the clutches of a dramatically over-jealous technorat.

‘Rivers & Rainbows’ is a dark, familiar and brilliant tune that the echo-chamber and over-emphasised drum sounds nearly kills. ‘Silver’ with its eastern vibe almost escapes the dreaded ‘effects’ but they still leave vocals masked by a heavy veil. By the time ‘Prophesy’ arrives, I’m as angry as hell and wonder how the band allowed its music to be messed around with in this way. ‘Universe’ is a supreme example of how Burn’s wonderful voice has come out so badly from this affair. It’s one of the best rock voices around at the moment but labours under a production hand that would be removed surgically by the Taliband for robbery with violence.

And so to the final song, ‘Lights Of Life’, and I’m thinking that the producer has left the room for a cuppa and the boys just got on with it. Fat friggin’ chance! It’s a great song reduced to sonic mediocrity. The really criminal thing is that this album, by this band is fundamentally a potential rock album of the year; a minor song-writing masterpiece; that I’ve scored 4/5, even with this dreadful production. However, it’s really a 5/5 album with a maddening production handicap that I cannot ignore. Listen for the hidden song after track 10 to hear how good this band really is (oh, and ignore the final, extraneous violin noises) … My advice to the guys is to record a live show of all the songs and release it as a bonus CD - I know which one I would play.

4/5