The Donkeys are difficult to label. Too rock ‘n’ roll to be considered folk but with the easy listening sensibilities of blues or country artists, The Donkeys are a unique but wonderful hodgepodge of different genres, and a reminder why listeners should never pigeonhole bands with a label in the first place.
Performing songs from their latest album Living on the Other Side, The Donkeys can be seen live at 8 p.m. Thursday at Rudyard’s British Pub.
Living on the Other Side is The Donkeys’ second album and the follow-up to their 2004 self-titled debut, an album that released quietly but has since helped to build the grassroots fan base The Donkeys enjoy today.
Under most circumstances, The Donkeys’ lack of a true genre risks being too inclusive, with aspirations of appealing to everyone while truly pleasing no one. Still, its medley of different tunes and hooks somehow works.
With a subtle country twang, singer and drummer Sam Sprague croons of girls, love and loss. It’s hardly an original choice of lyrics, but Sprague keeps the mood refreshingly pleasant and free of pretense.
Rudyard’s British Pub, 2010 Waugh Drive, is a small, intimate British pub hosting the event. Tickets are $7. Living on the Other Side will be released Tuesday and The Donkeys can be heard at www.myspace.com/thedonkeys.
