Refreshing, funky pop.

In the modern day pop industry it’s hard for new artists to find their own sound and stand out. However, four piece DNCE have managed that. The band, led by Joe Jonas (yes, from Disney’s 2008 Camp Rock) were behind the huge summer hit ‘Cake By The Ocean’ and are becoming renowned for their fun-loving and care-free attitude.

It’s hard to describe the sound DNCE have perfected. It’s pop but the band manage to combine a number of different genres to create something very, very funky. It’s pure feel-good but believable too. There are no over-produced, electronically crafted melodies that are now a given in the pop industry.

The self-titled album opens with a self-titled track, with the high-pitch harmonising chant of “D, N, C, E” before Jonas’ shouts “ow”, a feature that has now become a sort of trademark for him, listeners know this is an original record. The opening song has all the traits that feature throughout the album: an infectious drum thud, guitar solos, a sing-a-long bridge and cheeky lyrics such as “D, N, wait you forgot the A bro” with which Jonas explains that the band’s name originates from the word “dance”

"the band manage to combine a number of different genres to create something very, very funky"

Standout tracks include ‘Body Moves’ and ‘Be Mean’, which are sexually-charged with lyrics such as, “with that body, you’ve got the right to be naughty”. The band have recruited ‘I Don’t Mind’ singer Kent Jones on the blowjob inspired track ‘Blown’ where he raps “Head while I’m drivin’, almost made me crash”. However, it’s not all fast and upbeat. DNCE show their versatility on ‘Almost’, a ballad on a failed relationship, and ‘Truthfully’ which almost has a Camp Rock vibe about it.

It’s rude and crude but who really cares because it’s a great lot of fun loving funk.

4/5