On one of his social media channels, near the beginning of 2025, musician Daniel James mused how he was always busy. So busy, in fact, that he barely had time to sleep. At that time, he was a member of at least four bands – including Indonesian Junk (who’d just embarked on a hiatus) and reformed punkers Chinese Telephones.
Adding to his insane schedule, January 2025 also saw James releasing the debut EP from yet another band – The Daniel James Gang. ‘Darkness Over This Town’ offers four tracks of high octane garage rock, occasionally fused with far more of a power pop edge than any of Dan’s previous work. The title track is quick to advertise this change in style, thanks to a rather bright sounding guitar part which rings out with a real intent against a really upbeat drum part. Musically, things are incredibly strong, especially with Daniel and company dropping the odd blue collar rock riff between the verses and a featured guitar solo adding an extra layer of melody. For Daniel’s extant fans, no dramatic musical shifts could ever disguise this as one of his projects, since his lead vocal retains his massively distinctive, heavily drawled style, giving this otherwise very commercial tune a really raw edge. Overall, it’s a solid way to kick things off, showing how James is able to change and adapt, utilising the talents of those around him. On their last two albums, Indonesian Junk had taken slightly more of a commercial turn, and this very much feels like a more confident extension of their more accessible direction.
Shifting towards more of a rock ‘n’ roll sound, ‘Lies’ sounds like an overspill from Indonesian Junk’s excellent ‘Spiderbites’ LP, with James latching onto a proto-punk sneer that’s so heavy on the David Johansson inflections that it could slide into ‘Personality Crisis’ at any second, whilst a careening guitar part appears to relish in a world of chopping rhythms and a grinding lead. In terms of garage rock, it plays to very familiar conventions, but there’s no denying the band are capable of whipping up a storm, whilst the unexpected arrival of some female backing vocals brings an unexpectedly poppy edge to a simple hook. If there’s a single track that makes this worth the price of a download, ‘Lies’ is certainly very much it. It’s in the running for the best Daniel James tune to date.
As you might expect, if you’re already familiar with the musicians involved, a cover of New Model Army’s ‘The Hunt’ is a perfect fit here. The four minutes centre around a brilliant rhythm section who are clearly working very hard (Logan Stang’s almost cymbal-free drumming is very effective and massively tight), and throughout the first half of the track, a very 50s sounding guitar adds a huge twang. As the number increases in intensity, the Gang’s blend of garage rock, rockabilly and retro rock really comes into its own, whilst Dan’s gruff vocals add a really sinister edge to the lyric in hand. It’s not markedly different from the NMA version, but to stand out, it didn’t need to be: this is merely a showcase for a tight band to show off their skills. For the well versed punk fan, it’s a cover that’s very welcome – and its more traditional sound makes it more effective than the Sepultura recording that introduced ‘The Hunt’ to a new audience in the 90s.
Since there are elements within EP that sound like a more commercial extension of Daniel’s work with Indonesian Junk, it comes as no real surprise that ‘Misery’ was actually written with a new Junk LP in mind before plans changed. This is most obvious due to James to revisiting the insane drawling sound that dominated the Junk’s debut LP. If you can make it past that, the tune isn’t without merit; the marriage between the ringing guitar and dirty lead work brings a retro sound into the present, and an unexpected backing vocal lifts a reasonable chorus hook. For the more patient ear, this dirty slice of garage rock will still appeal, but it’s easily this release’s weak link.
‘Misery’ might sound a little too much like a backwards step for James, but the rest of ‘Darkness Over This Town’ is great. The bulk of the material showcases a great musical union from players who clearly enjoy their time together, and the faster tempo material demonstrates Daniel’s love for classic garage rock and power pop influences with a relative ease. As an extension of the Indonesian Junk catalogue, this is a very welcome release that more than cements James’s place within the garage punk underground.
January 2025