If you’re a regular reader of Rhythm & Booze you’ll have stumbled across my previous slightly over the top review of Well Hanged, the debut EP by London based sextet Damn Jammage (if not search and check it out on this very site) and if you have you’ll know I’m something of a fan of the band’s genre defying, musical mashing, rule breaking, always thrilling never a dull moment sound.
So with that all in mind you can imagine my excitement when She Drowned, the band’s new single and forthcoming album opener dropped through my letter box, in fact I was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement.
She Drowned is a stunning combination of dark punky folk, off-kilter polka infused blues and upbeat infectious doo-wop goth (and yes I know that sounds like a contradiction). Imagine a combination of Waits, Cave, Lanegan and The Pogues, baritone male vocals combine with almost sweet female melodies to create a catchy hook-laden chorus, whilst the band weld together a swirling mix of bouncy beats, glockenspiel and piano to form a contagious musical stew that’ll have you smiling from ear to ear despite the dark macabre nature of the lyrics and subject matter, the dark murky underworld has never sounding so inviting.
Once again Damn Jammage deliver a stunning, head twisting, ecletic bittersweet ballad full of vim, vigour and invention, let them take your hand and lead you through the dark underbelly of the world to the most exclusive, excessive and down right thrilling club you can imagine.
Rhythm & Booze Rating 10
www.damnjammage.com