As the clouds gradually make for summer and us English crack out our barbeques and swimsuits at any opportune moment, a very suitable soundtrack has come along. It takes the form of the much-anticipated debut album from The Drums. This American quartet who reside in Brooklyn, New York have been bubbling with hype for almost a year now but all of a sudden seem to be on the cusp of stardom. They are currently supporting Florence & the Machine on her UK tour and will surely fill up their own arenas in the years to come.
Up until this summer, California has had an unofficial monopoly on dreamy surf-pop but that is all about to change with The Drums’ self-titled LP. The twelve songs on the album follow the same recipe, which means that there’s a good deal of continuity; but on the flipside, a bit of repetition also. The music has a sun-drenched feel and could easily date back to the 80’s due to its vintage feel. If you’re in need of a comparison, picture a blend of Vampire Weekend and The Beach Boys.
The first official single, ‘Forever and Ever Amen’, also happens to be one of the major highlights on what is a very solid first album. It’s an unabashed pop song with a jaunty backing track and a playful chorus. Next up, another popular song is one that has done the rounds on radio and Internet for a while now, ‘Let’s Go Surfing’. It’s got a catchy whistle-chorus along with a naïve, bittersweet element to go with. The surfer-esque theme takes one back to those perfect days by the seaside and bounces along happily. Finally, my personal favourite is the album opener, ‘Best Friend’, which is full of melancholic content but remains upbeat thanks to it’s giddy energy and swooning melodies.
All in all, there is very little not to like about The Drums. Even though every track sounds so similar that the album could be merged into a 43-minute epic, there isn’t a weak point because it’s all so fun, catchy and summery. They are clearly on a quest for the perfect pop song, and they keep going down this route, I’m sure they’ll strike gold eventually.
Released June 7 on Moshi Moshi Records
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