Reviewed on Nov 30, 2007 by Tom

I have to thank Hein from Punkupdates for the tip to check out these flying Dutchmen (and my partner-in-crime Roel for sending me them MP3’s of course). Roel actually promised to write this review but seen that I’m just as much of a slack as he is these days, and the fact that The Real danger has been constantly rocking my world these past few days, I felt compelled to take some precious time off work to pen down these thoughts …

I can see easily why The Real Danger floats right up Hein’s alley, and having grown into this whole punkrock scene in the late nineties, it’s not that difficult to imagine why they are having such an impact on me as well. Maybe it’s a sad thing to say, but I really though didn’t make music like this anymore, and maybe that’s why both me, Roel and Hein are so taken with this debut, our desire to see bands churning out more easy-going melodic punk a la All, Face To Face and Descendents than is actually the case these days making us lash on to those few bands that do like they are the next big thing. There’s certainly still room for growth and improvement, but that doesn’t deny the fact that this is a pretty tight and easily appreciable effort that immediately ranks the band in my top five of Dutch punkrock bands of all times. If you liked the feel-good European-made poppy punkrock sound of the late nineties a la Stoned and Astream, or like everything that came from the Hopeless/Lookout/Honest Don’s label in those days, these Dutchies will quite easily be capable of rocking your socks off. That these guys aren’t rookies when it comes to making music is instantly clear, with tracks like “Promise Me” delivering instant singalong hooks and a drive that just swings you right along. I had to constantly suppress an urge to air-guitar my way about work whenever this Rotterdam lot turned up on my ipod playlist. From midtempo melancholic rockers such as “Strange” and “What It Meant To You” to uptempo feel-gooders a la “Don’t Wait Up”, “Waiting” and “O.K. Now”, to more angrier tunes (that remind of our own Five Days Off and 88 Fingers Louie at times) a la “No Regrets” and “Waiting”, there’s not a track on here that doesn’t work it’s magic, making it hard to even resist to sing along. Overall, the vocals are quite pleasant to listen to, but you can’t help but feel that a producer’s touch could, would and should have made such a difference on this one.

I guess it just speaks for this day and age where labels are so threatened from every which way that bands that deliver promising debuts just like this one are totally out on their own and no-one is the better for it. I hope there is a label out there that is paying attention because there really is no danger releasing and supporting albums of this ilk …

If punch, drive and a whole lot of melody sounds like music to your ears, I suggest you give this one a couple of listens during one of those upcoming cold and lonely winter nights. It’s totally and definitely worth it. This is one of the most impressive debuts I’ve heard from these parts lately, and it should create a lot of opportunities for the Rotterdam based band, so here’s to hoping they seize them and that we won’t have to wait long for number two.

Related Links:

• www.therealdanger.net

1. Guitars
2. Promise Me
3. Strange
4. Don’t Wait Up
5. Remnants
6. O.K. Now
7. Dead End
8. Waiting
9. No Way Out
10. Safe
11. No Regrets
12. What It Meant To You
13. Northwest 38

Album Reviews

S/T Sep 28, 2007