Junkyard Drive: Look at me now – CD Review
21st March 2024Have you heard of Junkyard Drive? Have you grabbed any of their previous three albums off the shelf? If your answer is no to these questions then read on.
These guys from Denmark, are a top-of-the-tree rock band and are about to release their 4th album âLook At Me Knowâ on Mighty Music/ Target Group on 12th April 2024. This 10-track album produced by Soren Anderson (Glenn Hughes, Thundermother) pulls you back and forth from all-out rock riffs to quality ballads.
Opening up with âSomewhere To Hideâ it’s a ballsy intro to what youâre going to expect from the release. It’s a swaggering bluesy/dark bar room heavy rock tune, with great guitars from new members Oliver Hartmann and Kristoffer Kristensen.
âShoot From The Hipâ brings you a cleaner sounding steady rhythm and bang about half we in an awesome guitar solo and some pretty cool ââŚhey babyâŚ.â 70âs inspired moody vocals from Kristian Johansen.
Next up the fast-paced âTearawayâ, no space to rest on this one, âstack your moneyâŚplace your betsâŚ.donât stand in her way⌠its the way she playsâ, about I guess about a particular type of female. This is a great tune, with plenty of belting guitar lines in it, solid.
âBlack Wolfâ introduces you slowly and explodes at full speed. Drops tempo in parts, but has a catchy melody that keeps you listening. It has overtones of a grunge/classic rock amalgam.
Bluesy/funk-type sound brings you into âBeauty Foolâ, love the steady snare and kick drum from Claus in this one. Including vocals and guitar work that wouldnât be out of place in a late 1960s/early 70âs US festival.
Thereâs a good vibe and quality to this album and cements the expectations after the release of âElectric Loveâ in 2022 which consolidated their standing after the release of âBlack Coffeeâ in 2018 and âSin and Tonicâ in 2016.
 Although the band has been through a few key lineup changes, the standard of the musicianship is well-sustained and excellent.
Definite 70âs vibe from the band and that continues with âBlood Red Skyâ. Its the longest track on the album by some way and it’s my favourite. Power chords and some tidy lead guitar work complement the quality of the vocals/lyrics.
âSaw You Hanging Thereâ keeps you enthralled in the grip of a ballad until about halfway then bursts in some power rock, brings you back down again then some big chords to close it. What doesnât go unnoticed are the excellent backing vocals throughout.
It’s hard to buttonhole the style of âThe Tide Is Highâ it crosses a bit of blues, AOR, and hair metal, love it. Have a listen yourself. Cast your thoughts to buttonhole it.
âPipe Downâ brings us towards the end of this quality album. Oozes with the energy that weâve heard throughout âLook At Me Knowâ.
A full-blown ballad to end with âAfterglowâ, lets you slip into rest mode, quality.
This is a great album one of the picks of the year so far for me. Favourite song choices are âBlood Red Skyâ, âThe Tide Is Highâ, âBeauty Foolâ and âSomewhere To Hideâ, but believe me there isnât a bad song on this album from Junkyard Drive. Take a bow, guys.
Score 8/10
Tracklist:
1. Somewhere To HideÂ
2. Shoot From The HipÂ
3. TearawayÂ
4. Black WolfÂ
5. Beauty FoolÂ
6. Blood Red SkyÂ
7. Saw You Hanging ThereÂ
8. The Tide Is HighÂ
9. Pipe DownÂ
10. AfterglowÂ
Label – Mighty Music/Target
Release – 12th April 2024