Sundowns and Hurricanes – Cameron Davidson (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

If the powers that be up in their ivory towers have the general public convinced that they took pop music from a cheesy, death by disco past and repackaged it into a cool, overly earnest but ultimately vacuous product for Generation X-box, at least Cameron Davidson reminds us that there was always another way. If punk did anything worthwhile it certainly allowed musicians to re-invent genres and pop music, when fused with post-punk liberty, entered a golden age. Alongside the mainstream dross, a more intelligent, creative and subversive type of pop was created as independent labels had their say and newly energised artists flexed their musical muscles. Cameron Davidson is the worthy successor to that crown.

Sundowns and Hurricanes is not just a brilliant title, it is a very worthy slice of energetic pop and Davidson’s emotion filled voice is the perfect spearhead for this musical attack. The song feels fresh without pandering to fashion, edgy (by modern pop standards at least) without trying too hard, effortlessly cool and totally infectious. This is why we fought the punk wars. This is why bands such as The Teardrop Explodes died for us…frequently. They say those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. In music it seems that the opposite is true. Repeat away.