aaamusic | On 18, Jul 2011

Danny and the Champions of the World began in London in 2007.

 

Following the praised ‘Streets Of Our Time’, in 2010, ‘Hearts & Arrows’ is the third album from songwriter Danny and his champions, released on 18th July on SO Recordings. This is a new line up for The Champions. They create a different feel, predominantly rock ‘n’ roll of the late 70s, but also with elements of soulful folk. Fans wait with eager anticipation.

 

Think of Bruce Springsteen, Nick Lowe and Tom Petty, perhaps with an early Bryan Adams vocal style and you’re probably in the right direction.

The album opens with Ghosts In The Wire, a gentle, emotional song with an optimistic tone. The title track Heart & Arrow is fast paced and explores freedom and ambition.  Some inspired harmonies about living the American dream can be found in Soul In The City.

The meditation on Elvis, Colonel And The King, is a catchy song which is extremely difficult to get out your mind once it gets trapped there! Brothers In The Night moves you with a sibling tale about times past whilst a sorrowful and much slower paced number is found in Too Tough To Cry.

Every Beat Of My Heart is one of those songs you initially think has always been around, only to discover that it’s just your imagination playing tricks! Can’t Hold Back is possibly the strongest and catchiest song on the album with passionate harmonies, followed by the lively On The Street.

Two songs conclude this wild album journey: You Don’t Know (My Heart Is In The Right Place), with its gospel overtones and Walk With Me with its country roots and good harmonies.

Danny says he’s tired of “everyone pretending that it’s 1971 again”, but it’s mostly the exceptionally fine creative output of this earlier era that inspires music lovers to return to it, rather than any desire for “trendiness”.  But, inevitably, we all become followers of fashion from time to time, however much we’d like to think otherwise.

 

Danny & the Champions of The World play Bush Hall on 22nd September, 2011.

 

Author: Anthony Weightman