Dysseldonk
"33 1/3"
by Johanna J. Bodde


                                                                   

DYSSELDONK   "33 1/3"   (Inbetweens Records) www.dysseldonk.nl   www.inbetweens.com We know Eric van Dijsseldonk already from the Eindhoven-based band The Smalltown Romeos, where he landed the comprehensive part of singer / songwriter / guitarplayer. They recorded two CD's. Now the portable here swallowed a disc that was named after the old phenomenon LP, "33 1/3" and was released on that unsurpassed Inbetweens label, founded by Jos Starmans. For this solo-debut Eric shortly calls himself Dysseldonk, which sounds nice & sturdy, it's easy for all English speaking friends too, as they will never ever understand what's up with our Dutch Y with dots! Roots music has been made accessible with the same time-defying approach that certain popbands during the sixties believed in. The songs are melodiously and variedly arranged, Eric and his buddy Gabriel Peeters take most instruments under their wing, while keys-lion Roel Spanjers of The Sunset Travelers also plays on a few tracks and I hear in "Bright & Blue" pretty cello playing by Gijs Coolen. Everything is presented quite modestly, but also in a way that urges us to listen. "I'm a hopeless romantic, a melancholy fool", that's from "A Piece Of You", my favorite track on the album, which offers in the meantime a good summary of what makes Eric do what he does here. He can sing marvellously for sure and uses convincing English, as well in his lyrics (just listen to opener "All I Can Give"!) as in his pronunciation. "Almost Blew It All" reminds us of Jan Willem Roy, not surprising as they worked a lot together. The album ends in an original, cute way with these little voices and sounds of "Two Little Girls"! --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde, Dutch original of this review previously published on Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands. =====