Rock/Power pop
Lifting their name from the famous “Live At Budokan” record by Cheap Trick, Budokan wears their love of these power pop icons on their sleeve. Throughout this Canadian band’s debut LP, “Spin A Little Gold”, you’ll also hear plenty of reverence for the Ramones, Buzzcocks, and Rolling Stones. The four lads, Andrew Molloy (guitar/vocals), Craig Vishek (guitar, vocals), Kent Bendall (bass), and Graham Watson (drums), have been around the block in numerous other bands but display a great chemistry here as Budokan.
“Spin A Little Gold” is filled with thirteen nuggets of power pop goodness. There is a lot to like about this record, but I’m finding a few things preventing me from loving it. The vocals aren’t terrific and often get buried in the mix, and the choruses would have benefitted from some tweaking to make them more memorable. However, there are some moments of rock and roll brilliance scattered throughout and the choice of lead guitar tones is spot on. The band is energetic and sincere, qualities that eclipse most of the shortcomings here. Highlights include “You Stop Loving The Band”, “The Right On Girl”, “For Badge Holders Only”, and “Shady Glade”.
Budokan – hear them here.
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