A Review Based on Superficial Comparisons. . .#3plus some insights into the music

De Nova as in De Novo Dahl?

Blues Rock: The Redwalls’ De Nova
The album title means “of new,” and I suppose that’s a strange title for an album that kicks off with “Robinson Crusoe” sounding like early Beatles rockabilly blues combined with the Rolling Stones and liner pictures showing a band that’s self-consciously made to look like they’re from the 70’s. However, the Redwalls’ De Nova is new. They take that Classic Rock Blues Rock sound from yesterday’s 8-tracks and play it with clear-eyed, 21st century passion recorded in modern studio stereo.


“Falling Down” challenges the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), baiting the censors with the lyric, “What’s this s*** going down about the FCC, going to war against obscenity?/Well, at times like these/You better watch what you say/Watch them take your f****** rights away.” De Nova earns its parental advisory label, but Eric Roinestad’s album art direction works that explicit content warning seamlessly into the album cover like its just part of what the band has to say.

“Thank You” brings back Ziggy Stardust in a new form. Meanwhile, Elton John’s piano sound shows up in “Build a Bridge.” The title line chorus for “Hung Up on the Way I’m Feeling” is sung in falsetto and mimics the Trammps' “The Night When the Lights Went Out in New York City.” The haunting, current event stories of “Front Page” are set to a song that has guitar breaks sounding very much like a slowed down “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (Monkees).

Thanks to the Redwalls and Capitol Records for the review CD.


American Dance Rock: De Novo Dahl's Cats & Kittens
Well, De Nova is just one letter off from the name of the band De Novo Dahl. The band’s name is apparently a play on band member Vovo Dahl’s name. He along with brother Joel Dahl and four others crafted double-disc release, Cats & Kittens. Whether “novo” means “new” or not, like the Redwalls, De Novo Dahl creates something new that’s full of throw backs to the 70’s.

The sound is a rock band vamping on disco and 70’s rock. “All Over Town” isn’t Abba, but when the disco ball rhythm kicks up and the gang vocals enter, Abba isn’t that far away. “Jeffrey” taps a little more into that Classic Blues Rock to which the Redwalls are partial.

If I were still in St. Louis, this music review site would be filled with tales of going to Dr. Zhivegas shows. Zhivegas can kick out at least two straight hours of disco, funk, and 70’s rock covers, songs seguing from one to the other like a live DJ party mix. De Novo Dahl is what Zhivegas would be if they took the next step to become a full-fledged originals band. A four-song EP was produced six years ago, but I haven’t seen any other recordings from Dr. Zhivegas.

De Novo Dahl has the sound of disco, funk, and 70’s rock cover band, and yet, they’re throwing down their own gauntlet of songs. It’s music for a party. It’s music to slip into your 70’s obsessed friend’s CD player. He’ll think it’s just some obscure 70’s album until you tell him or her, “This is new.”

Cats was recorded followed by remixing of the entire album to yield Kittens. The original vision of Cats rocks while having an eye on that disco ball. Kittens provides an interesting look at what you can do when you completely remix your album, adding more beats, drum machines, and dance samples. “I Woke Up Late” with its pop rock bounce becomes “I Broke a Plate”—scary for what it loses in its strangeness including the Vincent Price/“Thriller”-like laughter. Kittens is a little self-indulgent, a little too much like a project for an audio production class to make the new versions as enjoyable as Cats. (Oh, boy, someone’s going to Google me now and think I’m talking about Cats the musical. Ah, the horror!).

Thanks to De Novo Dahl and Theory 8 Records for the review CD.

To see other comparisons based on not much, go to:
A Review Based on Superficial Similarities. . .#1
A Review Based on Superficial Similarities. . .#2