Dead To Me did’t hit my attention with their debut album, “Cuban Ballerina”. Quite possibly because on a first listen the songs on it just sounded generic pop punk rock. Quite possibly because the “don’t judge a book by its cover” is just untaken advice by me.

With the release of their sophomore LP, Dead To Me hit the “originality” button on their dashboard and it’s a good go. The record sounds nothing but a great collection of rock songs. Inspired by love themes, social issues and friendship matters, “African Elephants” deliver 13 of the finest tracks I heard this year.

The reggae stylish intro of “X” is the perfect way to get you in the right mood: relaxed, pissed off, angry yet with the positive attitude. The record sounds like a puzzle of sounds, with its pop punk riffs on “Modern Muse”, the reggae riffs of “A Day Without A War” and the post punk choruses on “Bad Friends”, which defines the line between boring and amazing.

Inspired by The Smiths, The Clash and Nirvana too, Dead To Me still shake everything up to release something new, at least to my bored ears. “Cruel World” is about turning the face to the other side, “Three Chord Strut” deals with modern economy and lifestyles, “California” is about letting go, “Terra Del Fuego” is about exploitation of the poorest, and yet every song has got its own meaning in the giant “African Elephants” concept, that tells the story of modern life in the year 2009.

I listen to this album every once in a while now, after spinning it on my stereo everyday for a month straight after its release date, and still, it has not lost its power of hitting you. In a good way.