James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
Following the recent release of their second album, Portamento, the Drums evidently considered themselves enough of a cult band to have two support acts. Arriving early enough to stand up front with all the devoted indie kids, our vague appreciation for the Drums was put to the test as the History of Apple Pie stumbled through their set in a haze of guitar-overload and failingly wailing vocals. Salvaged somewhat by second act Cloud Control and their tight but unexceptional performance, the Drums then left us hanging for another forty minutes. An unpleasant forty minutes because, as expected, the sweaty crowd clogged both the bar and the toilets.
When The Drums did finally make an entrance, their signature Beach Boys-meets-Joy Division sounds quickly got the crowd going; the excitement was clearly tangible in the sudden spike of Blackberry updates and the shedding of knitted jumpers. The seemingly flippant lyrics ("You were my best friend but then you died", "I want to buy you something but I don't have any money") and obvious adoration of the girls in front of us was reminiscent of early Beatles gigs, with a light-hearted and upbeat attitude transcending the serious nature of some of their songs’ subject matter.
Admittedly there were points at which their songs blended into a homogenous mush of happy pop, and the majority of the band was static in their stage presence. However, this was more than compensated for by the lead singer’s amazing Bowie-esque swing and the near-spiritual atmosphere that ‘Down by the Water’ created. The moment was immensely memorable; the smoke machines, the chant of the crowd, and the genuine force of the vocals culminating in a really beautiful sound embrace. The remainder of their songs were played in anticipation of a predictable encore, which was bound to disappoint with the omission of Let’s Go Surfing.
The gig swung between sheer brilliance and mediocre ‘fun’ pop, and it was unfortunate that they ended on a middling note of average Drums style, rather than closing on the high that was ‘It Will All End in Tears’.
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