The Drums: A Transatlantic Musical Love Affair

They could be an all male sixties pop group. They could be an English band from the seventies. In fact they are The Drums, they are American and this is 2010. Performing classic robotic dancing that would make Ian Curtis proud, featuring vocals reflecting Morrissey’s jumpy, yet gentle tone, and even a Shangri-Las-esque lyrical structure, they are most recent American anglophiles since The Killers. 

Their latest EP entitled ‘Summertime’ is concentrated in influence from ‘the Brits across the pond’ and sixties pop. ‘Lets Go Surfing’, which apparently has nothing to do with surfing at all, presents us with quick paced clattered guitars akin to the style of Johnny Marr. ‘Make You Mine’ is a song rooted in sixties pop with cutesy Beach Boy whistling, perfectly timed hand clapping and a ‘call and response’ pattern between Jonathan Pierce’s sensitive cry of ‘sleeping in the kiii-tchen’ and a echoic female reply resulting in a strange yet endearing hybrid between black gospel and pop.

No doubt, The Drums are a revival band, meshing the likes of The Smiths and The Shangri-La’s in one pleasing melodic stew. It’s fair to say The Drums live through their influences. But with their nostalgic appreciation of music been-and- gone and being a part of scene plagued by Indie fakes, The Drums are marketed as being original and it would be unfair to take this away from them. They are a fun listen reflecting timeless teenage emotion, simultaneously liked by twenty-something rock ‘n’ roll hipsters, producing songs destined for indie dance floors.

The future looks bright for the Brooklyn band. Named as one of the British BBC’s Sounds of 2010, suggests that they will receive greater attention than any other underground band this year. The Drums are here to stay. But despite critical acclaim, It’s fairly likely that their retro sound and niche look will not create quite the hype garnered by The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys or The Strokes. Like other bands who have found critical acclaim, The XX and Animal Collective come to mind, their music is reserved only for people with particular interest in Indie music. But with further listening and a full length debut out in July, it will be interesting to see if the band will cling to their nostalgia or pertain to the 21^st Century Indie scene, creating a sound that can fit in with the guitar driven bands of today.

www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever

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