Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

‘Water Damage’ is a 5 track EP from a band that I first heard a while back and was very impressed with – Desert Monkey. ‘Water Damage’ is another impressive release from the band and continues their assault of no holds barred rock music with a passion. They are such a powerful band and I feel that the majority of the power comes across in their vocals as the front man here is obviously very talented and has a fine art for superb vocals. The guitar riffs also create the feeling of power that you get when you listen to Desert Monkey as they are very dark and sinister and just generally sound amazing. There is a distinct dark edge to their music which really comes across well in these 5 tracks.

I think that the band have definitely improved since I last heard them and this EP is another classic that should see the band further their fan bass still and gain some good support slots. They have a hell of a lot of talent and you can tell that they have a passion for the music which they are creating and this is what makes it so special. There is never a dull moment on this CD and at every moment possible the band appears to be aiming to impress. There are 5 strong tracks here and it is hard to pick out the best tracks from it as they are all just so fine and the recordings just sound perfect. Sometimes recordings can be too clean, or indeed too rough but Desert Monkey seem to have got the mixture just right and the sound really does sound awesome and really suits their distinct style of rock music. They have a truly amazing drummer that really does knock together some astonishing beats that will have you tapping your feet in no time.

This band are still only young and I feel that they will be around for many a year to come yet and will be releasing CD after CD of pure Rock gold for some time. You just get a sense that they are in it for the long haul when you listen to this CD as it really seems like they are feeling the music and believe in what they are producing. If you get a chance then make sure you check this band out – in the mean time, buy this CD and prepare to be amazed by their brilliance.

(Review from www.alt-uk.com Review October 2004)

'From the name of this band, I thought that they were going to be another flash in the pan Ska Punk band from god knows where who might have a loyal following where they live but on a national scale are really just plain shit. Gladly, I was proven wrong by this fine CD and right from the offset of the drum introduction I could tell that this CD was really going to be something special.
Desert Monkey play no strings attached rock music that will give you a swift kick in the arse. The music which the band play is exciting, fun filled and just seems to carry the true spirit of Rock ‘n Roll. This is impressive stuff from the band and I reckon that they will be making CDs in some shape or form for many years to come. They have strong vocals that have a real zest of power injected in to them and will really put a smile on your face, the guitar hooks are super cool and will hoof you right in the face, and the drum beats really vibrate right through your body and rock it hard. The band are still only 18 years old, but already they know how to make music that truly rocks so who knows what we will be hearing from them in the future.
It is hard to pick a favourite track out of these four as there is not a bad apple in the bunch as they all taste super sweet. Crank up your sound system to ‘loud’ and away you go with this CD. I guess if I was pushed to choose a favourite from this CD then I would have to say ‘Terpsichorean’, as it is just such an awesome quality track, and the guitar hooks on this one seem to be even better than they are on the other three – which is quite odd considering how amazing the quality of the guitar playing is on the other three! If you like a good rock band then you will almost certainly love Desert Monkey as they are everything that you could ever possibly wish for in a Rock band and more!'

('www.alt-uk.com' review of Desert Monkey's EP Made Great by a Breeze May 2004)