I now have four albums from this band on the Not Lame site - there are five older ones, all have been done and recorded in this entire decade, so Dropkick do not mess around! It is about HARMONIES with Dropkick. It just is. I`ve albums mentioned that fans of such bands as Teenage Fanclub(big time) The Primary 5, The Pyramidiacs and Michael Carpenter would fall in love with them. On "Abelay" those influences still do apply but like their previous album, "Patchwork", they continue to stretch out into a more rootsy and still jangly territory here, flexing up their alt-country-pop muscle to see what will attract. What always works for the band is their tunesmiths, concerned with songwriting more than hook pumping. "Songs that capture a power pop spirit tinged with a country edge, shimmering guitars and vocal harmonies recall classic California bands and more local contemporaries such as Teenage Fanclub and Daniel Wylie"- Americana UK.
"I looked near and far for today`s entry. My search took me all the way to Scotland. And what did I find you ask? Jangly power pop from the band Dropkick and their new record Abelay Hotel. The band has received plenty of accolades and some of them are quite funny. For instance the BBC called them `Scotland`s finest alt-country power pop band` (like there are dozens of them roaming the countryside!!) and the Scotsman said they were `Scotland`s 3rd best band for 2009` fabulous melodies a-plenty and more hooks than Bob Nudd`s fishing bag (I just find that bit about `3rd best`kinda funny). Astonishingly enough I wrote about the band here first.
If you`re going to write a power pop song with the word "California" in the title you had better give it a little bit of those wonderful sunny Beach Boy harmonies. The band accomplished that and even added a little Smithereens-like ruggedness." - Songs Illinois.
 Song #1 - mp3
Song #2 - mp3
Song #3 - mp3
Song #4 - mp3
Song #5 - mp3 | 
