Album Review :
Davy Jones' Locker - Schizophrenia, The Dance Machine
Band: Davy Jones’ Locker
Title: Schizophrenia, The Dance Machine
Label: MTG Music
Release Date: January 12, 2009
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
- Return To Zero
- Keep On Keeping On
- Tangled Up
- Schizophrenia, The Dance Machine
- Nothing To Lose
- The Grand Ending
- Overcome
- Shining Smiles And Clever Lines
- Did You Calculate The Risk?
- Silver And Gold For Dying Souls
- Just Like You
- Quitting Is Not An Option
What do you think of when you think of Norway? Besides the 80’s rocker Thor. Ice. Vikings. The Oslo Accords. Ice. Well, I’ve got another one to add to the list… Davy Jones’ Locker. Contrary to what their name would seem to imply, Day Jones’ Locker isn’t a concept band about pirates. Or the bottom of the sea. Or even the sea in general. What this 5-piece rock outfit from the icy climes of Norway is about, is musical intensity. And they kinda, sorta just happen to be fronted by a guy by the name of David Jones. No word yet as to whether or not there’s any relation to our very own Brandon Jones. I’ll let you know when the DNA tests results get in.
So where was I? Oh, right… musical intensity. Let me start by saying that if you could somehow cross Ozzy with 10 Years, the result would be something along the lines of Davy Jones’ Locker. Intense, melodic, rock with a heavy undercurrent and soaring vocals.
While the CD title, “Schizophrenia, The Dance Machine”, is more play on words than indicative of the actual danceability of this music, I can definitely see the audience moving at a live performance. A couple of tracks drag a bit here and there and some of the vocals seem forced, like on the title track, but for the most part it’s a good solid release of good quality rock and roll. Packaging is professionally done. Production, thanks in no small part to Mike Jensen from Showbread, is spot on.
Lyrically, Davy Jones’ Locker asks more questions than they answer. Not that any of the questions are too terribly ominous, so it’s mostly music for the sake of music filled with lyrics which are pretty standard thematically. Consider the song “Keep On Keeping On” which says, “keep on chasing fantasies / forgetting all those broken dreams / taste the water, bittersweet / the picture is not what it seems / do I want you to come over / this thing has gone way too far / did you forget about your motives / do I know your heart / what’s left of us now / what have we become / I never meant for us to part”. Or maybe “Silver And Gold For Dying Souls” which says, “the siren sounds tonight / this is the time / this is the way you wanted it to be / you wanted it to be this way / not in a million years would I go back / if I could choose / to leave it all behind / wrap it up in silver and gold / truth is only boring and old / something just to excite the soul”. No real spiritual undertones to speak of… it’s mostly personal discovery, struggle, and lessons learned.
Standout track would have to be “Return To Zero”. In spite of the wicked bass lines and pounding cowbell on “Just Like You”, the opening track is by far the catchiest on the CD and the perfect lead-off song. It spells out what the band is all about and does so with style and punch.
Speaking of what the band is all about, David Jones himself was kind enough to take some time to fill me in on just that. So here’s the highlights:
What’s the story behind the band’s name? I think it started after I stumbled over the expression Davy Jones’s Locker in my English- Norwegian dictionary one day at the University where I was studying English literature. I thought it was a pretty cool meaning behind the phrase. Now after all of the Pirates movies it really didn’t do us any justice, as people think that we got the idea from them. Anyway it is just a name. 🙂
Christian band, Christians in a band, or other? Can you elaborate? Well, we use to say that we are the sum of four believers in a band. We all share the opinion that we are not in this band because we are out there to preach to people, but we play together because we share the same passion for music, and love to play. The faith is a great bonus though!
How would you describe the band’s style of music? I guess you could call it energetic and melodic rawk. We just call it Ear Candy. 🙂
Fill us in on the direction that you believe God is taking you as a band. We’ll just have to wait and see. We are not really doing this as a ministry or anything like that. It’s more of a bunch of dudes coming together and playing music. 🙂 We are getting ready to write new songs for our next record, really looking forward to that. It’s gonna be exiting to see what happens.
What do you hope a listener comes away with after listening to your cd? I hope he or she comes away with a positive feeling that makes them get up and want to dance!
What’s one thing that the readers can pray specifically about for you? Inspiration and that we all will be safe and spared of trouble, and if trouble may come, that the outcome makes us stronger.
Overall: If you’re looking for a solid rock album with a touch of pop and a bit of a prog-rock twist, Davy Jones’ Locker should sit pretty well with you. And to save you’re hard earned cash, be it dollars or krones, David was kind enough to send me a couple extra CDs. So, here’s the deal… the first two (2) people to post the correct answer to the following question each get a CD. Fair enough? Okay, here it is…
What was the name of the team that won the gold medal in ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics held in Norway?
www.myspace.com/davyjoneslocker