Damn Seagulls

SOMETHING ABOUT IT
ONCE WE WERE THIEVES
HUMAN TORCH
THE MOMENT when a band gets truly interesting usually
comes once they forget what they were supposed to be
doing. Instead they start doing what they need to be
doing.
That’s what’s happening with the Helsinki based Damn
Seagulls.
On their second album ”Soul Politics” the band is all
over the place. They are punk enough not to get stuck
just playing punk. The songs are filled with shameless
pop sensibility. They can rock out when necessary.
Soul is not only a word in the title.
Sometimes you need big words to get the idea through.
Damn Seagulls is in a situation not totally different from
where The Clash stood on their musical breakthrough
album London Calling, or Afghan Whigs on theirs,
Congregation.
Like their predecessors the Damn Seagulls is breaking
out of the contemporary scene to make something of
their own. Sure it’d be easier to climb on a bandwagon
of post-punk, emo or whatever happens to be the flavor
of the month but who said playing in a rock band
should be easy? It can be more.
”Soul Politics” starts out with almost folkish intro ”Once
We Where Thieves” before opening all the gates with
uplifting rocker ”While I’m Gone”.
The first single of the album ”The Beat” shows the most
ambitious side of the band in a disguise of a classic
pop song. Heavy use of horns and piano makes one
wonder if these kids live under an illusion that they
are born again E Street Band from the outskirts of
Helsinki.
And the hits juts keep coming. ”Quality People” slows
down the tempo and adds a bit of soul to the mix.
”Human Torch” wins one over with its catchy chorus.
It’s hard to resist the energetic rocker like ”24 Uptown”.
Ten songs in 40 minutes. Quality over quantity. Just like
a classic album should be.
WHILE BARELY in their early 20’s the members of Damn
Seagulls are already veterans in the Helsinki scene.
The band started out ten years ago as a group of close
friends and they still remain just that.
After countless of shows and tons of hours honing their
sound at the rehearsals the band felt ready for their
debut album ”One Night at Sirdie’s” in 2005. While it
caught a young band in full energy it pawed the way
for the versatility of ”Soul Politics”.
The band is also ready for some success: the new
album climbed to the top ten of Finnish charts on its
first week. On their hometurf the band is now receiving
the recognition they deserve. Tomorrow the world.
ALBUMS:
One Night at Sirdie’s (Fullsteam, 2005)
Soul Politics (Fullsteam, 2007)