Album Review: Don Broco - 'Technology'

With Don Broco not dropping an album since 2015 and their earliest single release off Technology ‘Everybody’ being in 2016, Broco’s 2017 and 2018 was huge to get new music out. I would say on behalf of all of their fans, the release of ‘Pretty’ and ‘Technology’ followed by an album announcement was a breath of fresh air for them and that is where the excitement started.

Technology, the first track off the album and the third released as a single off Technology it kicks off with very heavy riffs which flow all the way through the track, definitely one to punch the air to. A perfect way to start off this powerhouse of an album.

Carrying on the with the catchy hook openers, ‘Stay Ignorant’ is a head bopper, as seen in the official music video for it, the loopy guitar hooks keep a soft edge to the track until, once again, the heavy riffs emerge. Continuing with the heavy guitar riffs, third track ‘T-Shirt Song’ is full of them, but the riffs are also complemented with snippets of piano and softened lyrics, but then, in traditional Broco style, the riffs hit back.

Rolling smoothly into the fourth track, ‘Come Out to LA’ which when released took a lot of people by surprise with the catchy pop verses and synth loops which is contrasted massively by the heavy, raw guitar riffs throughout. A genre bending track which works perfectly. Referring to their hometown Bedford at the start of the track, ‘Pretty’ was the first release after the long wait from ‘Everybody’ and what a wait it was worth, once again its full of harmonic lyrics, heavy hitting lyrics and pure riffs.

‘The Blues’, the first non-pre-released track off the album continues the harmonic lyrics, but does feel a lot more chilled out than the past five tracks, I would say that there is a ‘Automatic’ (Broco’s previous album) feel to this track. Carrying on with the harmonic vocals, we roll onto ‘Tightrope’ which is a fast paced lyrically hooked track, which progressively gets heavier throughout and drops suddenly, but excellently.

Personally, the only two good track which features a cowbell in, ‘Everybody’ was the first single released off the album in 2016. With its catchy guitar loops and constant cowbell this track is a certified feel good song, which gets you moving wherever you are. The second, ‘Greatness’, starts off with the trademark cowbell from ‘Everybody’ and this track is what it says on the tin, “Fucking Greatness”.

‘Porkies’, the tenth track definitely has a dark/heavy side to it compared to the past two tracks, kicking off with a heavy bassline and guitar loop this track hits you right round the chops and wakes you up. Damiani’s raw gritty vocals dominate the track with passion and power. In contrast from ‘Porkies’, next track ‘Got to Be You’ calms you back down to gain your energy to punch the air for the last 5 tracks. ‘Got to Be You’ is very reminiscent with ‘Nerve’, off ‘Automatic’.

Back with a bite, ‘Good Listener’ hits hard from the start and throughout lyrical hooks of “Real good listener talk about a good listener” keep the track flowing smoothly, with it being the shortest track on the album. Going back to ‘Come Out to LA’, ‘¥ ‘has a similar catchy pop style to it.

Rolling into the last few tracks, ‘Something to Drink’ takes the same approach as ‘Got to Be You’ and calms you down once again to hit back hard with ‘Blood in the Water’, which very lyrical based with less guitar loops than most of the tracks, but keeps up the riffs.

Finally, ‘Potty Mouth’ the final track off the album and the longest at 6:51 minutes long, the longest track they have ever released. ‘Potty Mouth’ is very lyrically heavy compared to the rest of the album. When you listen to this track hold on till 6:10 which seems to be a unrefined recording of Damiani rambling the lyrics to ‘Something to Drink’, a comedic touch to a very professional and well thought out album.

It may have been a long wait for a full album release from Don Broco, but it was definitely worth it.



Review by Ami Ford