Dany Laj and the Looks - RetroSpectacle (Rum Bar)

Canadian Dany Laj and his backing rhythmeers The Looks have made a career out of spinning tales about small Canuck towns, the joys/pains of escaping said towns, criss-crossing the country rocking out, and adventures had along the way. As a supplement to last year’s American debut Ten Easy Pieces, Laj plucked tracks from previous recordings to compile RetroSpectacle. Clearly a man with a plan from the beginning, Laj injects tremendous rock & roll energy into songs that range from introspective to romantic to humorous, just as he does in his later work. “You’ve gotta take this town to another town,” he insists on “Small Town Kid,” which is good advice for songwriters (and artists) everywhere who escape one place to find another. Meanwhile he and the Looks (bassist Jeanette Dowling and various drummers) kick out all kinds of jams on “Diamond in the Rough,” “Sweet Pretender” and “Left Right to One,” hook machines in high gear. Though constructed from multiple sources, RetroSpectacle maintains the same focus as the previous platter, thanks to the consistency of Laj’s sound and songwriting.