Danny Goffey Discopunk album review by Rob Johnson.
The spectacularly named Bryan Moone’s Discopunk marks Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey’s second foray into leading his own project after the release of 2018’s well-received debut album Schtick. While his bandmate Gaz Coombes continues to put out more contemplative and thoughtful fare, Goffey is quite happy to focus on the good times.
This sophomore effort kicks off with lead single ‘Everybody’s on Drugs’ combining the spiky, punky riffs favoured by Graham Coxon with absurdist lyrics that recall early Supergrass singles ‘Mansize Rooster’ and ‘Alright’. The second track ‘Pressure’ follows this same formula with Goffey proving himself to be just as adept at leading a band as he is sitting behind the drumkit.
During the album’s funkier moments, namely ‘All Dressed Up’ and ‘Discopunk’, Goffey recalls the electro-indie of LCD Soundsystem or The Rapture, a pleasing delineation that adds some sonic variety to an album that otherwise is made up of straightforward rock ‘n’ roll. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, and at 11 tracks and 33 minutes, there is never time for anything to become stale as the record zips along at a lightning pace throughout.
Elsewhere, ‘Looking After Number One’ is the sound of Britpop growing old as Goffey laments having to put the needs of the children and even the dog before his own. The surrealist lyrics and catchy chorus of ‘Back into the Water’ combined with the layered backing vocals is as close to a Supergrass song as anything else on the album and will surely keep long-time fans happy. When Goffey does try to branch out lyrically it all goes a bit sixth form politics with no-nonsense banger ‘The Left Side’, but when it’s delivered with such irresistible exuberance the dodgy lyrics can be excused.
‘Flea Market Woman’ is a terrific song title and one of the best songs on the album with the ruminative verses adding some texture and complexity and ‘The Marrakech Express’ wouldn’t sound out of place as a ‘Life on Other Planets’ era Supergrass song with its Chas and Dave honkytonk piano and singalong chorus.
In ‘Dog Eat Dog’, the frantic riffage and literal lyrics put forward the thesis that nice guys finish last. Well, by all accounts, Danny Goffey is one of the nicest guys in rock ‘n’ roll, and with Bryan Moone’s Discopunk he has released an album that will keep Supergrass fans happy whilst also appealing to new listeners. A solid and enjoyable second solo album.
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