Dana Athens’ The Same Love Is Not The Same

November 13, 2023 by

Brooklyn native Dana Athens begins a solo side project following the success of her band, Jane  Lee Hooker, to release an inspiring album. Entitled The Same Love, Athens’ soulful voice shines through a blend of rock, funk, and pop-infused songs. and she redefines her versatility through this fun and colorful album.

Dana Athens-The Same Love album cover

The Same Love -album cover

While Brooklyn Roads covered the lead  single , “In My Bones,” released earlier this year, listening to it as a leading track into the emotional journey of the rest of the album is an important experience for all listeners. The song reflects Athens finding herself in the midst of change, making you feel excited for the future through bright electric guitar riffs and explosive choruses featuring powerhouse vocals.

“Easier Said Than Done” features vibrant trumpet sections to begin and underlying organ  sections in the bridge, changes from Athens’ signature rock influence. Throughout, panned vocals echo Athens’ main lyrics, elevating the listener. Once again singing about change, Athens parallels the steady building of emotion with the chorus lyrics, “pressure builds up/push comes to shove.” Distorted vocals segueing into the outro, this track is a must listen and guaranteed to be a fan-favorite.

“Tip of My Tongue” takes a different approach than the feel-good quality of previous tracks. An emotional ballad, Athens cries of her declaration of love failing to come out at the opportune moment, expressing, “I can’t admit this is love.” The instrumentation of this song prevails, having its ups and downs, highlighting the singer’s lower register in softer verses.  The titular track, “The Same Love”, seems to be a modern take of songs by The Temptations, having a similar Motown feeling, with influences from later pop rock bands such as Hootie & theBlowfish. The instrumentation of this song attracts the immediate attention of the listener. Yet another musical genre is touched upon in “Peace. Love. Shine.” Powerful gospel vocals add to Athens’ passionate call for peace, singing “Let love shine/And may peace be with you.”