I would like to this week revive the second Drums album, The Drums. The album itself is in fact not at all very old, it was released in 2010 and it took us by storm. But in September 2010 the guitarist of The Drums, Adam Kessler announced that he would be leaving the band. And then, they had two new members and one of which left in a matter of months. By June 2011, lead singer Johnny Pierce revealed that the band were on the verge of breaking up. They then released Portamento, and the album chart dropped from 16 to 44 in the UK. And that is my explanation as to why the album The Drums is not played on the radio nearly as much as it should be.
But why should The Drums album be played so much? They are, in case you hadn’t realised, The Beach Boys in disguise. They sing amazing vocal harmonies, like the beach boys, and after you read this, listen to a few songs from the album and then listen to a few from Pet Sounds and tell me that they don’t sound very similar.
My favourite three tracks are Down By The Water, Best Friend and Skippin’ Town. Down By The Water is the most romantic of the three. It is much more simple, it is less about the music itself but more about the lyrics:
“Everybody’s gotta love someone
But, I just wanna love you, dear
Everybody’s gotta feel something
I just wanna be with you, my dear”
What I see in the lyrics remind me of Cornerstone by Arctic Monkeys. The song is not as much about the song, and what there is of it is all very simple. They also both are offering a gesture with a particular scenario. Cornerstone is about how Alex Turner feels so strongly about his ex that he goes on a hunt in all his local pubs and he asks women that look like her if he can call them his ex’s name. Down By The Water is also about a gesture based on a specific scenario, as Johnny Pierce is saying that if he finds someone by the water (not naming anyone in particular), he would carry them home. What’s also similar about them is that we don’t know that the lyrics mean the full story trying to be told.
Best Friend is about waiting for a best friend who always disappoints. What I also love about the song is the music video, Pierce shows off his famous dancing, and he stays throughout the whole video whilst the rest of the band casually leave towards the end of the song. The song is then finished with some novelty credits.
Skippin’ Town is about something much deeper, not about romance but being chased by someone who very strongly, passionately hates them. Pierce even offers running away from home just so that he is not chased any more.
“I know you’re trying to kill me
‘Cause you’re chasing me around town
Until I turn around
Yeah, you’re chasing me around town
Until I turn around
I cannot take anymore
Do you want me to skip town?”
juvenile hearing 