for fans of: The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Skaters, The Smiths
(photo creds to Eric T. White)
There's certain expectations that resonate from a band whose name originates from a Suede song, and it seems that Drowners have met these expectations by joining the ongoing Britpop revival. The rebirth of the stonewalling 90's genre has forever held it's buzz in the air (you know, those constant talks about Oasis reforming... as if that's ever going to go well) but was widely popularised recently with Blur's BRIT award back in 2012, Pulp's Reading appearance in 2011, and it being cool n trendy n sooooo fashion to listen to classic bands like Menswear, which lead to the emergence of a brand new wave of inspired musicians hoping to emulate the success of the farts old enough to be their fathers (haha only joking DAD).
Brooklyn boys Drowners (though frontman, former model, and brain behind the music and lyrics, Matt Hitt is a Welshman) certainly play out the Britpop genre well with their self-proclaimed post-punk sound. Their clearly cited influences from the likes of The Smiths are so lucidly evident throughout the record.
Inhuman excitement flooded through me when my physical copy arrived for their debut album (though at first it instigated "what the fuck did I spend money on this time?" panic). I have been waiting for this for a long time. Since the online release of the free 'HOME RECORDINGS' EP in late 2012/early 2013 (which later became the 'Between Us Girls' EP) I've really, really, really loved this band. However, it appeared as if a very promising quartet had catapulted themselves off of the map until recently they announced the release of their debut album following the premiere of the lead, and most impressive, track 'Luv, Hold Me Down' and it was like the heavens were shining down upon us. The single is something you could definitely imagine a pop-star version of Morrissey flailing around stage to. It's an angsty teenage, and so wildly romanticised, love note style plea, yet still the kind of airy fresh indie rock you'd like to wake up to every morning. Though bursting with energy, it's still glittering with the trademark Drowners hopelessness. This would make it easily transformable into a heartfelt piano ballad.
Guitarist and lead singer Matt Hitt, vocalist and guitarist Jack Ridley, bassit Erik Snyder, and drummer Lakist Pavlou (bun Cara Delavelaveeney - his eyebrows could dictate a small nation) epitomise Cool Britannia. With stateside opening slots for the mighty Arctic Monkeys already done and dusted, they're set to tour the UK with Skaters this Spring proving they've created a real tour de force for themselves since bonding over "sad pop" in a New York bar.
The "jovial misery" Hitt so proudly strives to achieve shines brightest on 'A Button On Your Blouse' - a melancholy youth anthem polished nicely with well-bred melodies. Yet the misery is also evident on the slightly more aggressive and frustrated conversation of the ever-tragic and bitterly wounded 'Well, People Will Talk'. 'You've Got It All Wrong' tells tales of the beginnings of a Big Apple romance and the lyrical themes contrast nicely with the wistful 'Let Me Finish', yet remains incredibly punchy, fizzling with the kind of beats you'd want playing while you're swaying in an alcohol induced daze. Playing only a few inches out of their comfort zone, 'Unzip Your Harrington' opens with the amour of nearly 50's-esque guitars. It's desperate, whispery vocals are something you'd imagine boys who slick back their hair and wear leather jackets to sing. Still, the most sweeping dynamic bursts from the much less pop, much more rock 'Bar Chat'. It's almost powerful (maybe as it's so much more 21st century than it's accomplices), and incredibly different from the gangly indie rock of the rest of the record.
That's no means to say that the more heavily cited tracks don't hold their own as though 'Long Hair' can be strewn as something very generically Britpop, it's not as garage-y as the likes of their influences but still delightfully retro. Album opener 'Ways To Phrase A Rejection' is definitely the most Strokes-like with it's surging instrumental, complete with jittery riffs, underneath Hitt's gossipy vocals - bursting from his lips like a secret. In 'Watch You Change' the snappy essence materialise riffs that could almost, though not quite, be the handiwork of Johnny Marr as if he was plucked straight out of 1985. 'Pure Pleasure' has a more together aesthetic and is largely where the Pulp affect is most prominent, despite its swirling Morrissey talk of dreams. The record ties itself off becomingly with a rerecording of 'A Shell Across The Tongue', whose opening riffs resemble something off Wish from 1992 though it has a splash of something by the band's BFFs The Vaccines about it.
Their fidgety first effort is short and sweet and doesn't require a lot of thought and though it doesn't hold the intriguing charm of 'Luv, Hold Me Down', it does show a lot of promise. With festival slots all over the US this summer, including The Governor's Ball and the almighty Coachella, Drowners have room to blossom and find their own sound by LP number 2.
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