The Donkeys - Living On The Other Side (2008)

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The Donkeys are a band keen on continuing the tradition of lazy, country-tinged indie rock that has spawned so many excellent California bands over the past decade, including Grandaddy, Radar Brothers, and Earlimart. The Donkeys, however, derive their cowpoke-folk power from their hometown of San Diego, putting them at the southernmost border of a sound more often associated with Los Angeles and, especially, the Central Valley. For many, San Diego is more familiar as a locus for SoCal hardcore, with bands like Drive Like Jehu, The Locust, and Swing Kids all getting their starts there. But The Donkeys eschew aggression and power chords for the pot-smoke-hazy end of the spectrum, relying on vintage organ sounds and dulcet vocals to tell their tales.

Living on the Other Side starts off with Gone Gone Gone, a decidedly folksy tune embellished by strummed chords and the thump of an acoustic guitar. Next, the band brings the tempo up ever so slightly, as clean, Allman Brothers-style noodling coats the lead single, Walk Through a Cloud. The ‘60s pop-referencing Dreamin’ lives up to its name, as a light percussive line anchors sprawling guitars, synths, and a rolling bassline. vocals here, as throughout Thethe entire album, are neither preciously hushed nor belted out, allowing the lyrics to clearly shine through the music. The Donkeys’ focus on song construction is traditional in a classic rock sort of way, but it serves them well. Apparently, Living was almost two years in the making, and while there’s a charmingly loose feel to the music, the time spent writing and recording clearly shows.