The Donkeys – Living On The Other Side

• 10th Sep 2008

A band with a name like The Donkeys doesn’t generally inspire much excitement, but this quartet from California just might surprise you with this offering of sunny tunes.

Their latest album “Living On The Other Side” is far from flashy, but the simplicity of their rock-pop tracks is endearing to say the least. The simple plodding rhythm of album opener “Gone Gone Gone” must have been inspired by their namesake and is a pace that is more or less maintained though out the whole album. You can hear the influences of their home country most dinstinctly in the drawling vocals of “Walk Through A Cloud” but happily there is not too much Americanisation even if the lilting guitar riffs do seem more country than anything else in places.

Instead The Donkeys seem to be inspired mostly by simple rock and it is a concept that works well for them. While there is little that jumps out and grabs you, their laidback approach makes a great listen on a laidback summer evening, particularly album close “Excelsior Lady” which harks back to the days of The Rolling Stones and The Byrds. Having kept it simple and different The Donkeys have managed to make an album that has taken a step back from the crowd.