On the strength of the Summertime EP that was released earlier this year, The Drums have been catapulted to indie rock darlings seemingly overnight. It would be hard to deny that the infectious Let’s go surfing isn’t enough justification for this but is it enough on its own? Despite being pigeonholed by the mainstream as a new-era Beach Boys based purely on their most famous track, it is evident on the basis of their hotly anticipated debut album, that their sound is more akin to the likes of 80s hipsters, the Smiths and the Cure.
Mostly compromised of a couple of tracks off the EP and some demos that have been banded around on the internet for the last 6 months, sadly, there is not much new here. Best Friend confirms the aforementioned influences. Despite the trite lyrics that might as well be ripped out of the “how to write a Smiths song” handbook :“You were my best friend / and then you died” it is one of the best indie singles this year and one of the stronger tracks on the album.
Book of Stories is equally excellent, with an infectious melody and killer chorus that claims; “I thought my life would get easier/ Instead it's getting harder”. Musically throughout it’s a beautiful mix of jangly guitars and bass lines that gradually become achingly familiar. Toward the end of the album it becomes apparent that the majority of the songs open almost identically, particularly evident on Book of stores and The Future. This leads to a dramatic shift in quality and becomes a little samey, with the last half sitting firmly in filler territory.
Having delivering the near perfect mini album and a couple of decent singles, The Drums whetted the scenesters appetites for more. Sadly, it seems that the pressure has got to them and has resulted in a package that lacks the impact and immediacy of their debut and dare I say, boring in comparison. For some, it will be the soundtrack of the summer, but for fans expecting something really special, it will no doubt be a wave of crushing disappointment.
6/10
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