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James Williamson & Deniz Tek Two To One Review by Gary Hill This release by two punk rock guitarists has a lot of great music on it. There are a handful of songs here that I think miss the mark, but overall I like this set a lot. You'll hear plenty of great guitar work and some solid tunes on this release. I'd say that it generally works better on the harder rocking, faster-paced stuff. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021 Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review

Jet Pack Nightmare I love the classic hard rock sound that brings this into being. The cut fires out with a killer riff that calls to mind the best 1970s rock. The vocals bring a more DIY sound to it. There is a punky edge to this thing.

Progress More of a punky styled tune, there is still some classic rock here.

Take a Look Around A bit slower and stripped back, this one doesn't work as well for me. It seems a bit awkward and a little too DIY.

Good as Gone This hard rocker works much better. It is quite punky and has some killer guitar soloing built into it. The break at the end takes it into more classic rock zones. It's a real bit of magic.

Stable The opening riffing on this is full of classic rock goodness. I'm reminded of classic Kinks.

Climate Change Punky and yet more classic rock based, this is another winner. The lyrics are timely and the tune really rocks.

Birthday Present No big change, this is just another killer hard rocker.

Small Change Less direct, this is also less effective. The DIY concept comes across a little awkward here, but not to the same level as it did on "Take a Look Around." The harmonica is a nice touch, too.

Liar I dig the up-tempo punk meets alternative rock vibe on this. The cut works well.

No Dreams I really like the guitar fills on this a lot. The hard-edged DIY concept here works really well.

Bonus Track:

Melissa Blue This is another track that feels a little "off" to me. For that reason, I think the set would be stronger without this track. Certainly putting it in the closing slot (yes, I know it's a bonus track) was not the best decision.

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