[Review] Dr.Awkward and The Screws - Getttin' Out of Style

Back in January 2017 I was introduced by some friends to that new band  that had just released its first s/t EP which as they were telling me back then is 'one hell of a groovy EP, you gotta listen to this shit'.

Not only I listened to it but it was kind of stuck to my head and my playlist as well for several weeks and also I felt an 'obligation' to write a few lines about it (check here) promising to myself that I will keep an eye on them. And the time has come, two years after that EP release, Dr.Awkward and The Screws are back with their debut full album 'Gettin' Out of Style'. Hellyeah! \m/

Keeping a safe distance from all the 'stoner' madness that still persists nowadays Dr.Awkward and The Screws deliver their heavy blues mood in a quite groovy way, full of 70s hard rock vibes. Despite the fact that their general attitude remained the same as the one they presented us with their first EP there were significant changes in other parameters that definitely gave a different shape to the final result of their debut album.

The bigger and more obvious change was the vocals. The singer that gave his voice for the s/t EP left the band a while ago and Greg (the bassist) took over the responsibility to fill in the gap choosing a more harsh and throaty vocal approach, leading in a result that is congenial and fit to the music but I still have the impression that Greg's vocals are somehow more stilt compared to the ones on the EP. While I don't consider that a downside there may be people that would find such vocals somehow dark, unvaried and monotonous creating a contradiction with the groovy and more joyful style of the music which on the other hand has in a way, followed as well a slightly darker path without however 'deviating' much from their EP sound.

Obviously the fact that the band transformed from a quintet to a quartet lead to some rearangemets and maybe affected the way the band works but it surely didn't affect the band's productivity. The album is consisted of 9 songs with a total duration of 41 minutes and while one could complain about a lack of variety I think that the fans of the old-school sound will really enjoy this one. Especially those that are into long, bluesy, instrumental riffs with tasty retro aesthetics and a production that is fit to a contemporary band that has nostalgic feelings for a glorious era of the past but at the same time is trying to create something with its own identity.

'Gettin' Out of Style' is the kind of debut that will make lots of heads to turn and definitely puts Dr.Awkward and The Screws on the radar of the retro sound lovers and while it is a bit diffcult to spot a hit-song inside the album, the fine musicianship of the quartet makes the whole listening experience a real delight; especially if you have the patience and pay attention to how the songs evolve and how the album flows from one song to the next one.

While I have the impression that the band has already concluded to a specific style and sound for the time being I am somehow eager to see their next steps because I somehow feel they kind of held back from expressing and unfolding their full potential and all their influences. Maybe they need to slightly loosen up some of their screws ;-)

bandcamp | facebook | youtube

listen to the album below, and scroll lower to watch a video from the band's release show, preforming "Spellbound"

5 April 2019, Release show @ six d.o.g.s

Dr.Awkward and The Screws is:

Greg ⬨ vocals / bass
John ⬨ guitar
Kostas ⬨ guitar
Thoukydidis ⬨ drums

extra info and credits:
released February 18, 2019
Recorded by: S_FX & Greg Konstantaras at Ritual Studios, Athens , Greece
Mixed and mastered by: S_FX at Ritual Studios, Athens ,Greece
Artwork by: Manster Design