ABBA

REVIEW: Arkells – Disco Loadout Volume 1 (2024)

ARKELLS – Disco Loadout Volume 1 (2024 Universal)

Five albums in five years.  Album #10!  First covers album.  The Arkells show no signs of slowing down!

Hamilton Ontario’s Arkells are the kind of band that clearly love music.  You get this feeling from certain bands, such as Foo Fighters, or Weezer:   that the members just love playing music, and sometimes want to bust out a favourite song for fun.  Many of the songs here are tracks that the band have played live.  Disco Loadout exudes fun from every groove (or 1’s and 0’s if you listen digitally), and yes, it does include some disco (Abba)!  11 tracks: the perfect length.  Genres range from modern pop (Robyn, Harry Styles) to classic rock (Bruce Springsteen, Hall & Oates, Huey Lewis & the News) and pop (Whitney Houston, The Jackson 5).

Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” has a chugging “Eye of the Tiger” kind of riff, paired with a rich horn section.  Drummer Tim Oxford opts for a big beat on this one, with his usual swing.  Singer Max Kerman pours it all in, and delivers big hooks on the chorus.  Check out that bassline by Nick Dika, a thrumming pulse that gets the blood pumping.  “Dancing On My Own” gets the album off to a fast paced start, upbeat and celebratory.

Keyboardist Anthony Carone takes the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” to the right place from the start, but it’s those big thick horns that really nail the authenticity factor.  This is not a song for the meek to cover.  The Arkells have had a soulful side that really came to the fore starting with Morning Report.  This track allows them to really let it out.  Without a bump, Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True” continue the blue-eyed soul vibe.  A favourite song of any Toronto Maples Leafs fan, this song is sure to be a popular one in Canada.  The Arkells do a wonderful version, and though it’s hard to top Darryl Hall’s vocals, Max does an admirable job.

Harry Styles’ “As It Was” has a keyboard line similar to “Take On Me” by A-Ha.  It has a nice retro vibe and a taut bassline by Nick Dika.  I like when they change the lyric “Harry, you’re no good alone,” to “Maxie, you’re no good alone.”  It has a beat and you can dance to it, but it’s not as classic as the other tracks on this album.

Guitarist Mike DeAngelis gets to sing co-lead vocals on Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”, and it’s a delight.  His voice is more similar to Peter’s, so when his lines kick in, it really adds to the authenticity (there’s that word again).  Speaking of authenticity, “Sledgehammer” lays on the horn section heavy once again.  This is a really fun cover.  Anthony Carone has the right 80s keyboard tons, and Oxford plays it for the beat, but not without throwing in some cool rhythmic tricks.  The saxophones are nice and thick, and you could swear it was 1986 all over again.

The first of two ABBA covers is a re-recording of “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)”.  An earlier version was on 2022’s Apple Music Home Session.  In both versions, Nick Dika shows an expert level knack for danceable but powerful bass.  Meanwhile, Tim Oxford is absolutely killing it on the drums, nailing both the groove and a hard-hitting power.  This song is a showcase for the upper echelon rhythm section of the Arkells.  There’s even a bass solo.

Speaking of bass, it’s prominent on Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”.  Dolly is having a moment again, so the timing is right to cover a Parton hit.  It’s just pure fun, and not too serious.  The horns are back to thicken things up with sass and melody.  Lyrically, the song actually fits in well with some of the Arkells’ earlier hits like “Oh, The Boss Is Coming!” as a protest over the big guys in the expensive suits.  Stay tuned for a great sax solo, followed by a rowdy trumpet solo, and completed by a trombone showcase!  As if that wasn’t enough, Tim Oxford gets a drum solo, before Max orders that they go “New Orleans”!  What a trip!

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston might be the most unlikely song on this album, but of course no pressure.  The Arkells have it covered.  Once again the bass is up front in the mix, really allowing the groove to come through.

Album highlight:  “Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen.  The Arkells have gone with a Springsteen sound before (“Nowhere to Go” featuring Jake Clemons) so they clearly know what they’re doing.  This song drives harder than Bruce’s version, while retaining all the hooks.  Some may think Max Kerman is ill-suited to sing a song by a guy with a raspy voice like Bruce Springsteen, but no issue.  Awesome track, and hopefully a future live staple.

Huey Lewis’ “The Power of Love” is a definitive 80s anthem.  Of course, the Arkells are all over it.  Anthony Carone’s keyboards are particularly noticeable, while the rest of the guys just sit back and let it groove.  Mike DeAngelis has a fun guitar solo, and the reliable horns deliver those familiar hooks that you remember so well.  Every base is covered.  A perfect version.

The album closes, as it should, on the last ABBA cover, “Dancing Queen”!  What can one say about “Dancing Queen”?  It is one of the world’s most perfect songs, but also, be wary:  to cover a song this familiar and this classic is to frolic on thin ice.  Yet the Arkells, with the combination of ace rhythm section, the essential keyboards, and horns, manage to pull it off.  Max Kerman’s delivery is pure love and enjoyment of singing a classic song.

Engineered by Harem Scarem’s Harry Hess, this album sounds absolutely fantastic, with highs and lows coming through loud and clear.  Hopes are high that a Volume Two will eventually follow!

4.5/5 stars

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)
  10. Disco Loadout Volume One (2024)

…and more to come

NEWS: Arkells announce new covers album Disco Loadout Volume 1 – pre-order now for May 17 release

The Arkells are not slowing down!  With last year’s surprise release of the unplanned acoustic album Laundry Pile, not to mention the two Blink albums, the band are back in 2024 with their first full covers album!  Of note, this album includes Abba’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)”, previously only available on an iTunes EP.  This is its first physical release.

Signed “ultra clear” vinyl with blue and purple splatter available, as well as unsigned vinyl and CDs.

Tracklist
01)  Dancing On My Own
02)  I Want You Back
03)  You Make My Dreams
04)  As It Was
05)  Sledgehammer
06)  Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
07)  9 to 5
08)  I Wanna Dance With Somebody
09)  Dancing in the Dark
10)  The Power Of Love
11)  Dancing Queen

WHY DISCO LOADOUT?

A disco loadout is a term in our industry that describes a very humbling act. Many bands have experienced this, and we certainly have. Sometimes when you’re on tour you might pull up to a venue to find there is a later show happening the same night. The promoter, looking at his spreadsheet, has decided that it makes financial sense to book two separate shows on the same night. Your band is playing the early show, and when you are finished, you must load your gear down the stairs and out the door while a lineup of people waits to get into the venue for the next show. The later show is usually a cover band, performing songs that everyone knows and likes.

We have been humbled by this in the past and instead of living with the embarrassment, we have performed and recorded those songs for you. We’re taking the term back.

Disco Loadout Vol 1. Songs Arkells like to play when we need to party like it’s a late show.

REVIEW: Arkells – Apple Music Home Session (2022 EP)

ARKELLS – Apple Music Home Session (2022 iTunes EP)

The Arkells have a number of download-only live EPs on iTunes.  The most recent one is 2022’s Apple Music Home Session which boasts three tunes:  Two from their Blink Twice album, and one exclusive cover.  And damn, you won’t believe what they covered!

The EP opens with a laid back, horn-laden “Reckoning” from Blink Twice.  The horns on this song are the real candy.  Rolling low and punching high, Arkells usage of horns is very effective.  And the chorus kick!  “Blink twice! There’s gonna be a reckoning!” croons Max Kerman on this irresistible hit.  Drummer Tim Oxford thunders out a smooth groove punctuated by his unusual kick drum pattern.  This is how pop rock should be – musically inventive with impressive playing.  This is how the Arkells do it.

Track two is “Past Life” performed just by the Arkells, and not with the Cold War Kids as on the Blink Twice album.  It’s a little tougher in this guise, with a lot more texture, dynamics and unexpected instrumentation.  Mike DeAngelis’ guitar break is tasty as hell and Max Kerman handles all the lead vocals himself.  This could end up being your preferred version of the song.

The big surprise is the cover:  “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA!  Max doesn’t swap genders for the lyrics, just as it should be!   The horn section delivers a good chunk of the melodies, but Anthony Carone perfectly duplicates the main keyboard hook.  Meanwhile, bassist Nick Dika lays down the funk in a flawless groove.  Dika gets a cool groovin’ spotlight moment just before the understated sax solo.  That leaves Kerman to deliver the indelible chorus, which he unflinchingly succeeds at.  Let’s face it, ABBA were extraordinary songwriters and “Gimme Gimme Gimme” is one of their all-time best.  The Arkells version is an undisputed triumph.

5/5 stars

  1. Reckoning (4:22)
  2. Past Life (3:55)
  3. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) (4:06)
    Arkells, the Beaches & July Talk

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come