The world of pop is a very strange place. Just last year any dyed in the wool folk-rocker worth his salt could be found, pint of stout in hand, vocally berating the seemingly endless glut of prepubescent manufactured groups emerging from the Simon Fuller factory farm of pop. Come the year 2001 however, the tables have turned and the pop kids could quite reasonably be making similarly vitriolic rumblings about the omnipresence of a new breed of acoustic guitar wielding folk revivalist. In this respect It's Jo & Danny are firmly in the line of fire.
Ever since the likes of Turin Brakes, Kings Of Convenience, Tom McRae, Starsailor and Ben and Jason all rode into town on the coat tails of their debut 'Lank Haired Girl To Bearded Boy' album, It's Jo & Danny have been left with a pressing need to distinguish themselves musically from their numerous 'nu folk' peers. The result is a purportedly new take on contemporary folk, which the duo succinctly describe in one song title as '21st Century Folk'.
The sad truth of the matter is, however, that whilst it may not have quite the same ring, late twentieth century folk might have proved a more accurate title. Much of 'Thugs Lounge' recalls the pivotal moment in the late eighties/early nineties when the likes of The Stone Roses, The Sundays and The La's cribbed all manner of folk, rock, pop and dance influences wholesale and changed the face of British pop music forever.
Over a decade on, however and It's Jo & Danny still appear to be stuck in this moment. Granted, 'In The Here and Now' is a shimmering folk pop song in classic early Sundays mould, just as, musically at least, the worryingly titled 'Hug A Tree For Me' recalls some of the less offensive moments from The Stone Roses 'Second Coming'. Overall, however, there is an all pervading sense of tired revivalism which leaves It's Jo & Danny sounding like a band who have run seriously short on ideas.
Which is a shame because there is some genuinely good stuff here in terms of melody. 'Real Thing', 'Give A Little Bit Extra' and the sweetly understated 'Pillow Fights' all demonstrate admirably straightforward, no nonsense pop melodies. Equally the Kenny G style squealing sax solo at the end of the affecting 'Driven Away' provides one of the album's few, but welcome surprises.
Too often, however, It's Jo & Danny's drive for modernity amounts to little more than sticking a break beat beneath an enthusiastically plucked acoustic guitar, a technique which has been perennially tried and tested over the past few years and frequently to greater effect than it is here.
