There’s something about Scandinavian countries - they know how to do radio friendly pop music. From Abba to Alphabeat from The Cardigans to The Concretes. And here’s another act to add to that list -Donkeyboy .
The name Donkeyboy may not sound the hippest tag to give a group, but at least this Norwegian five piece don’t suffer from being hidden to Google, unlike other Breaking More Waves favourites such as Mirrors or Giantess before they changed their name to Yes Giantess. In fact lack of prominence is not something that Donkeyboy have suffered from at all in their home country, being the first band ever to occupy both the number one and number two slots in Norway’s singles charts with their songs Sometimes and Ambitions respectively. Ambitions has since gone on to still be kicking around almost six months later.
It is easy to see why Ambitions was a hit in Norway and could easily replicate in the UK and worldwide. It has the eighties soft rock swoon of Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey, a song and a sound which has recently been sitting in the UK Top 10. Then it pushes in Never Ending Story-esque burbling bubblegum electro noises most recently revived by The Sound Of Arrows to give the track an even bigger throwback synth vibe. It’s all smothered off with a sugar glazed vocal and a soaring chorus. We’re thinking Hall and Oates here or maybe Cutting Crew. Ask your parents if you’ve never heard of them.
Ambitions comes from the Donkeyboy album Caught In A Life which was released in Norway last year and also hit the top spot, going platinum. The success of Donkeyboy led to the band supporting fellow Norwegians A-Ha at the back end of last year both in Norway and the UK.
The bands press release states “Somehow we think it will take more than penicillin to make this band go away. And for that we are truly proud and grateful.” Our opinion ? We wish Alexander Flemming had taken a little bit more time and upped the dosage, but there is no denying that Donkeyboy are highly contagious and infectious. You have been warned, Donkeyboy may make you sick.
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