Birth of Joy - Prisoner

They may sound like Niacin meets The Doors, but Birth of Joy knows how to have fun.Another day, another retro band, amirite? But to dismiss Birth of Joy as just a trio of European hipsters cashing in on the sounds of the 70s would be a big mistake. Forming, portentously it would seem, at the Herman Brood Academy (its namesake, The Netherlands' biggest rock star ever, made it big in the 70s) in 2005, Birth of Joy has impressed many with their great mix of psychedelic 60s/70s era organ rock (a la The Doors) with the killer, bluesy, guitar/bass grooves of stoner rock.

And there's no shortage of jams on their latest effort, Prisoner. I'm all about the extended interludes found on tracks like The Sound, Three Day Road, and Holding On. But for the more White Stripes kind of crowd, there are some classic, good time, boogie cuts like Rock and Roll Show and Keep Your Eyes Shut to keep your party going. The rest of the album is filled out quite satisfyingly with enough great bluesy jams to keep you well entertained for just under an hour. What more could you need?

The Bottom Line: Like I've said before, retro is great when it's written by good musicians who respect the old music rather than just wanting to ride nostalgia to the bank. And Birth of Joy not only clearly loves that era of music, but has the talent to write some truly great, catchy rock and roll jams. And isn't that really what it's all about?

- Genghis may have dug this album, but just can't being himself to listen to the Stripes...