Danielle Howle & The Tantrums – Skorborealis
After the uneasy calm of her 1999 solo album Catalog, Danielle Howle has gone back to the full frontal attack favored by her companions in the Tantrums. Howle’s music sounds a bit different when intertwined with the multi-genre talent of guitarist John Furr, bassist Bryan Williams and drummer Troy Tague. Out goes the singer-songwriter, in comes the rock chick wailing such fist-pumping hard-rock anthems as “Down” and “Camaro Power”(one of four songs co-written with Furr).
There are plenty of sensitive moments, however, like the atmospheric pop of “Sneaky A.M”., a vaguely droning bit of melancholy called “Soft White China Patterns” (reworked from a previous Tantrums album), and “Cut A Rug”, a country-rock nostalgia trip with a great harmonica riff.
Howle is unpredictable, which is a large part of her charm; when you’re not sure what’s coming next, everything’s a surprise. For example, the hilarious “Karaoke”, a by-the-numbers honky-tonk tune, is immediately followed by a raucous rocker, “Subclassic”. Whatever the Tantrums choose to throw at you, it usually turns out to be something good.