There can be no doubt that Deniz Tek is a man of very many talents. Firstly he’s an E.R doctor, a fighter pilot…and why not a rock star as well. There isn’t much that he hasn’t succeeded in, and of course he’s better known in Australia for being the musical mastermind behind seminal rockers Radio Birdman and more recently The Soul Movers. But beyond the earlier years of belting out punk sets in sweaty, beer soaked halls, Tek has maintained a musical presence over the years, crossing several genres and still showing all the youthful energy that gave us sub-cultural anthems like ‘Aloha Steve & Danno’, and ‘New Race’.
Deniz Tek’s latest album ‘Detroit’ is a mixed bag of goodies, showing a blend of styles with a talented band lending weight to the experience.
The opening track ‘Pine Box’ is about death in the Motor City, and immediately it is evident that this is likely to be a guitar-dominated album that shows off Tek’s brilliance on the 6 string. Overall it is a clean, yet gritty sound throughout the album that seems to show his maturing as a musician, although ‘Twilight Of The Modern Age’ brought out the ‘Iceman’ that Radio Birdman fans would recognize in a heartbeat with it’s tight riffs and powerful vocals. It kicks some serious ass and proves that Tek still has the musical balls to play it hard and fast.
‘Growing Dim’ reads like a country death ballad, and has some great acoustic tints accentuating the stripped back feel, giving it scope to be a perfect song for a major film soundtrack. ‘Let Him Pay For That’ although evidently about an ‘ex-girlfriend’ could musically serve as a tribute to the late Lou Reed, with a Velvet Underground feel that gives it a nice edge.
The final track ‘I’m All Right’ is a harmonica led sway into blues with a surf rock feel, signing off the album with the full suite of Deniz Tek’s multi-faceted approach to songwriting.
‘Detroit’ is a fine album that suits a number of genres and listeners, as it’s neither rock nor blues exclusively, but it certainly is diverse enough to stand alone as a great bunch of songs that would best be served nice and loud. It’s a story of a place that’s on the way down, and Deniz Tek tells it in a way that he does best, and only he can do.
‘Detroit’ was released last year through Citadel records and can be purchased here:
More info ar http://www.deniztek.com
Reviewed by Darren Hassan
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