Album Review: Nine Sons Of Dan - 'The New Kids'

The Gold Coast’s latest radio wonder hopefuls, Nine Sons Of Dan have released their second EP 'The New Kids' as their push for the mainstream, hoping to bring pop-punk back onto the airwaves. The EP's opening track Diamond Skin is the prize horse that the band are hoping will lead their assault, mixed by J.R. McNeely (Anberlin, Paramore), the song has all of the necessary factors. Big opening, soft verses that slowly build up to a catchy chorus with enough of a sinister and serious tone to the guitars to save things from being too sugary.

It would appear that the Sons have studied the genre well, knowing how to craft pop-rock songs just like their idols, who can be heard somewhere in there amongst it all. When approaching music from this angle, you better have something pretty damn special on board to save yourself from being just another bunch of imitators, whether this band has that or not is probably too early to tell.

They certainly have what it takes to make it onto the soundtrack to some form of American reality TV show about rich young adults and their love triangles with tracks such as You Took My Heart Again. This is guilty pleasure music, sure there isn't anything too complex about it, it's the Harold & Kumar of the music world, not much substance but enjoyable nonetheless. The incredible catchiness hits its peak on Fun (La da da da da) which is virtually a straight up pop song, although the very few off time moments hint that the band could be capable of some fairly clever output within this genre.

There is a bright and sunny theme throughout all of the music, which could be the band expressing the surrounds of their home town, especially on Villain which is a little bit too Short Stack for this reviewer’s taste. Animal picks up the aggression a little bit with a driving rock song as the EP's heaviest moment, before the closer Hope Is Dead, one of the darkest moments of the release with a solemn piano led outro which ignores all of the sunshine that came before it.

The band's intentions are made fairly clear with this EP, they are shooting for the big leagues and they have the sound necessary to give them a good shot at it. The EP may be a few clever hooks and gimmicks away from standing above the pack but it certainly paints a picture of a group who have the potential for serious commercial success.

1. Diamond Skin

2. You Took My Heart Again

3. Fun (La Da Da Da Da)

4. Villain

5. Animal

6. Hope Is Dead