Drzhivegas – Get Down / 2007 Self / 9 Tracks / http://www.drzhivegas.com / Reviewed 05 June 2007

Drzhivegas plays a current brand of hair rock that bands like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard would love to do, but have not been able to do with their albums in the late nineties and the early nineties. The band struggles to come up with a track that can act as their major hit, but the whole of the tracks on “Get Down” all contribute to a full sound. One may have to look towards a song like “Get Down On It” as their major hit, as it blends the rock style that Drzhivegas created for “Gimme Whatcha Got” with a lighter style that a larger subset of individuals can appreciate. The overall sound of the track still has enough of an edge to it that individuals into rock can still appreciate it, however.

By showing two very different sides to their sound so early, Drzhivegas has essentially stutter stepped. Individuals looking to pin them down and apply a specific genre tag to them cannot do so, and this is further complicated by the rock track with a disco drum line, “Wonder”. There is still the slightly lighter style present during “Wonder” as there was during “Get Down on It”. The chorus to “Wonder” is the first one I’ve heard on Drzhivegas’s disc that will get individuals singing and bouncing around. Their effort during the first few tracks of “Get Down” shows an evolutionary progress. Each subsequent track brings something new to fans, and I believe that the most listeners will see the allure of the band during “Wonder”.

However catchy “Wonder” was, the track that audiophiles will like the most has to be “Get It Start It”. “Get It Start It” is a track that brings a slight bit of funky guitar into the Drzhivegas mix, and may even bring some country fans into the band’s orbit. None of the tracks are going to reinvent what it is to be a rock band or what a rock track should contain, but Drzhivegas’s biggest asset is the fact that they create interesting music that individuals can feel good to at a bar or a live venue. I would like to see where the band goes in 10 or 15 years, and whether they will continue to do more of the same music or if there will be a sea change present in Drzhivegas’s song after a few albums. The one thing I am sure of is that the band will impress regardless.

Top Tracks: Tonite, Crazy

Rating: 6.0/10

[JMcQ]