The Donkeys – Born With Stripes

I’m no zoologist, but a Donkey Born with Stripes would imply zebra parentage, making these San Diegans zedonks. If we instead delineate their genus from the sounds they make, rather than from laboured puns, the band are proud Buffalo SpringBecks: opener Don’t Know Who We Are is a pinched harmonic away from For What It’s Worth, while early Beck is echoed on multiple occasions by the album’s loafing demeanour.

But maybe the first classification is suggestive after all; apparently, the stripy offspring of zebra-donkey combos are frequently smaller than either of the contributing breeds, and there’s likewise something stunted about The Donkeys’ musical appropriations. There are nice sounds to explore here, but the exploration won’t take long, and the prominent prints of others frequently distract. Nonetheless, it exhibits more character than the efficiently-anonymous hippie-country of Living on the Other Side, suggesting slowly but surely, The Donkeys are finding their feet. [Chris Buckle]