Andy Rocks: ‘Look At What We’ve Done’
ANDY ROCKS
LOOK AT WHAT WE’VE DONE
Released on July 1, 2021 (Soman Records)
Review:
Andy Rocks! I have to say that my expectations were pretty high upon seeing the band name on the rather dark cover showing the head of the group’s female lead vocalist Andrea Weiβ. I put the CD on hoping for some faster rocking tunes but upon listening to the intro of the opening track “Digital Detox”, I was left with some slower drumming akin to AC/DC‘s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and as soon as I heard Weiβ‘s singing, I knew that the album would most likely not rock in the way that I was anticipating. In retrospect, everyone’s definition of what actually rocks will be different but when I am thinking of music that rocks, I’m thinking of something in the vein of Motörhead‘s “Ace of Spades.” Clearly, none of the songs on Andy Rocks‘ album Look At What We’ve Done come close to what I define as “rocking”. That being said, there are some decent songs on the record but it’s really a hit and miss affair.
Look At What We’ve Done kicks off with the track “Digital Detox.” I find the subject matter for that song quite current in today’s world but at the same time, not that rock n’ roll. I also find that the lyrics mix up two very different topics — “digital detox” and “fake news”. If anyone has ever read the National Enquirer, which can usually be found at the checkout lines of many grocery stores in Canada, you’ll know that you can easily find “fake news” in printed format so saying that digital news equates to “fake news” is just plain silly. Lies come in many different mediums and not only via digital ones. In terms of the song itself, “Digital Detox” is alright. It’s got a catchy chorus and a nice little melody to it although it doesn’t rock by any stretch. Weiβ‘s singing is also a real acquired taste. She’s got a high pitched voice and reminds me a little bit of what you might hear from The Dirty Denims‘ singer Mirjam Sieben. The big difference between Weiβ and Sieben is that The Dirty Denims‘ music does rock while Andy Rocks‘ material might be closer to something that Avril Lavigne might have put out early on in her career.
The next few songs on Look At What We’ve Done — “Keep On Pretending”, the title track and “Time Flies” — are forgettable at best. All three tracks are on the slower side and don’t do anything for me. The album really doesn’t keep my interest until the fifth track “Hot As Hell” which is the second most rocking song on the record. The guitars are a little more at the forefront, the pace is thankfully a little faster, there is a little more venom in Weiβ‘s voice and there’s even an easy sing along portion with the word “Hot”. The guitar solo is also really cool on this one. “Regret” is next and is another one of the better tracks on Look At What We’ve Done with an infectious chorus and a cool guitar riff on which the song is based on. “Glass of Wine” is next. It’s pleasant and has a nice melody to it. From then on, it’s just a waiting game for the best track on Look At What We’ve Done, which is the album closer “Get Me A Drink.” Everything seems louder on this song. The drums are seemingly pounded a little louder. The guitar parts have more urgency to them. Weiβ’s singing seems to have more power on this one. If only all the songs on the album could be at this level but alas, that is not the case.
Unfortunately, most of the songs on Andy Rocks‘ Look At What We’ve Done don’t really rock. “Get Me A Drink” is almost an anomaly on the record and sadly, it’s the best track by far on the record. I think the Andy Rocks band members have the potential to come up with some better hard rocking songs with a little more fire to them. One can only hope that the band will head more in that vein for their next album.
Track List:
01. Digital Detox
02. Keep On Pretending
03. Look At What We’ve Done
04. Time Flies
05. Hot As Hell
06. Regret
07. Glass of Wine
08. Motorway
09. You Are The Enemy
10, Get Me A Drink
Band Members:
Andrea Weiβ – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
Andre Hofbauer – electric guitar
Andreas Ellner – electric guitar, backing vocals
Markus Rubel – drums
Michel Fischer – bass
Additional Musicians:
Simona Parisi – lead guitar (1)
Sonja Weiss – duett vocal (7)
Production:
Mixed and mastered by MarQs Plietsch
Band Websites:
Official Website
Facebook
Bandcamp
Reviewed by Olivier for Sleaze Roxx, April 2023
Andy Rocks‘ “Get Me A Drink” video:
Andy Rocks‘ “Digital Detox” video:
Andy Rocks‘ “Regret” video:
Andy Rocks‘ “Time Flies” lyric video: