No Win “Downey”

No Win are actually the vehicle for the solo release of Danny Nogueiras the former drummer with Fidlar. We must admit his previous band have passed us by, despite often been recommended to us. But No Win are presented as a garage rock band who wanted to release an ‘honest’ album that reflected Danny’s south Californian home.

Sometimes you just know you’re going to love an album from the opening of the first song. That’s certainly the feeling we felt when we heard the brilliant power pop sound of “After Your Legs”. Together with tracks like “Outsource” and “Endless Scan” they have the perfect combination of crunching guitars, big melodies and sing along lyrics.

However, that is all just building you up for the perfect pop of “Vision”, a song that you will want to be the soundtrack to your summer. When you hear songs like that and “2 Real” you can’t resist their charm.

No Win have been successful in creating tunes like “Shelley Duvall” and “From The Back Of A Rolling Rock” which are fun and catchy but, importantly, avoid being throwaway. It reminds us of a band like Silver Sun who were able to bring the power pop sound of acts such as Cheap Trick and Redd Kross but give it a shiny new coat. It’s also worth highlighting that “Being Teen” and “Waiting For A Call” surely just need to be picked up for a movie soundtrack to become huge mainstream hits.

With the weather starting to turn here in the UK, this is the perfect time to listen to this album. During the chill of autumn, these songs may be a bit too sunny and ‘Californian’ sounding for many people. However, with the warmth of the sun on your back, you will just lap up the good time vibe that all the songs on this album deliver.