Jan Doyle Band – The Body Balanced (EP – Jan Doyle Band)
Genre/Influences: Gothic, EBM, Electro-Wave.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Jan Doyle Band is a UK band, which is already active for more than twenty years. Last year they released the digital-EP “The Body Balanced” featuring five different songs. The band sent me a personalized CDR with some extra cuts.
Content: Jan Doyle Band defines themselves as ‘Clash on acid’. That’s a funny description, which in a way totally fits with the band’s approach. This band is switching from one style to another; from a Gothic-like title song with a catchy touch on top to pure old-school driven EBM reminding me of DAF to Electro-Wave songs and finally a totally weird cover of the Disco/Pop hit “Yes, Sir I Can Boogie”.
The extra songs, which aren’t available in the digital release, are mainly instrumental cuts of the different tracks.
+ + + : Jan Doyle Band makes me think of a cover band devoted to 80s music; the kind of formation, which feels good playing different music styles, but with one common element: the 80s New-Wave and related genres. I have to say “Body Balanced” is a great title song featuring ‘classical’ New-Wave/Gothic guitar play and elevating electronics. The instrumental version I heard even gives a better idea about the well-crafted composition. There’s also something to say about the EBM-driven “Confusion”. Baccara’s “Yes, Sir I Can Boogie” is pure fun and I can imagine a great song to play live. I also have to say this band took me by surprise personalizing their promo-CDR in a very original way; respect for this guys!
– – – : The mix between all different styles has something pretty confusion and that’s probably why I got the impression I was listening to a cover band. Sound-wise I think the mix could have been more professional.
Conclusion: Jan Doyle Band is pure fun; dark music without pretension, but to bring people together!
Best songs: “Body Balanced”, “Confusion”, “Play Pretend”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/jandoyleband
About Jan Doyle Band
Jan Doyle Band is a band from Doncaster, England, fronted by singer Jan Doyle. The group describes its own sound as moving through synthpop, industrial, goth and punk, a mix it sums up itself as “the Clash on acid”. By the time of the “The Body Balanced” EP, released in 2020 with the tracks “The Body Balanced”, “Confusion”, “Reflections”, “Play Pretend” and a cover of “Yes, Sir, I Can Boogie”, the band had already been active for more than two decades.
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