• Band / Artist : The Novaks – mySpace
• Genre : Rock / Pop
• Sample Track Download : I’ll Give You A Ring
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

Whenever I hear a good old fashioned rock band, my ears prick up and I can’t help but have pangs for the old days of rock. I’m not quite old enough to remember the Small Faces or Cream first time around, but I’ve more than made up for it with my record purchases in the years that followed. There’s still a few rock bands that have that chemistry and are still going all those years later. The Rolling Stones is a classic case in point, but then again maybe they’ve pushed the envelope a bit far. There are a few newer bands that have taken up the reins, Oasis being one of the great examples, but since their heady days of the late 90’s, they seem to have fizzled slightly.

So 3000 files from the home of some of those greats, hails The Novaks, from Newfoundland, Canada, a band more than capable of leading in the new wave of younger bands, looking to supersede the current greats, with their own brand of rock.

This debut album has a very consistent sound that runs though it like a artery. The lead singer has a very distinct sound, like a cross between Ray Davis of the Kinks, Steve Harley of the Cockney Rebel. There would be no mistaking any of the songs on the album, if played on the radio, which is always a good thing. The album opens with “No One Quite Like You”, which with it’s guitar riffs has a very strong Oasis sound, but as I said before, as soon as you hear the vocals you know this is going to be something quite special. This is a band that you can’t help but think has been influenced by some of the greats like The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and even to some degree David Bowie.

It’s just track after track of great music, which certainly has a few high points for me. Those would include the tracks “Doesn’t Anybody Hear It”, “Goodbye Rock and Roll Band” and my absolute favorite, “Man By the Door” . “Ann” is an interesting track as well, as it has a very interesting Fleetwood Mac vibe to it. The album rounds off with the suitable lengthy “You Don’t Have to Hang Around”, which acts as a sort of cool down after an aural work out.

Conclusion : A class album from a class act. Yes there’s certainly a selection of interesting influences, but they’re all given the Novak touch which gels all the tracks together nicely.