Arts & Entertainment

'Attic' houses upbeat punk teenage angst 

By Cheryl Stell
The Daily Cougar

Damoneis major-label record debut, From the Attic, features plenty of fun and fast beats that keep you listening contentedly, banging your head and singing along with a smile. The members of Damone are young, but that hasnit stopped the band from traveling far from its small hometown of Waltham, Mass., to sign with a major record label, RCA.

Guitarist David Pino wrote the lyrics to this 11-song album, which provides a little more than 30 minutes of Damoneis fresh yet heavy punk-rock style. Pinois words bring back sweet memories of youth gone by, as they successfully encase all the innocence of puppy love and all the drama that goes along with teenage relationships. But donit let this be the deciding factor of the bandis art. After one listen, itis obvious the vocals and the bandis musicial abilities speak for themselves.

Pino wrote the songs in his late teens while he was working at a car wash and his relationship with his girlfriend had just ended. He wrote the songs with hopes of winning back his then-former and now-current girlfriend.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Noelle LeBlanc has joked about Pinois girlish lyrical undertones and has changed the gender of the songs to suit her. With the small alterations, the songs become her own, and she brings them to life.

LeBlanc has become quite a leading lady at the tender age of 17. She belts out the bubble-gum tunes with a fresh and sweet voice reminiscent of the Pixies or the Breeders. "Frustrated Unnoticed," "Carwash Romance" and "Your Girlfriends" will take you back to the insecurities and cruelties of having a serious crush, while "Feel Bad Vibe" and "Leave Me Alone" are meant to be sad but bring on the smiles along with the memories of those first feelings of loss.

Noelleis voice is angelic, soft and pretty, but itis still full of the tough teenage-girl angst needed to carry the bandis punk-rock attitude and sound.

The band mixes crunchy guitar riffs and speed-metal-style solos with Vasquezis catchy bass beats and Dustin Hengstis steady pounding on the drums, while melodic vocals carry it all to nothing short of beautiful. Though pretty vocals and punk-rock grooves are nothing new, Damone stands out from the crowd and From the Attic is a definite keeper.

The album has a professional sound with a live feel. It is has a fast-paced 1980s rock vibe with a twist of modern punk rock.

Damone

From the Attic

RCA

The verdict: Damoneis debut is upbeat, energetic and even funny, though its songs deal with teenage frustrations, youthful romance and mending a broken heart.
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