You’re going to fall in love with this EP. Following on from The Drums’ debut hit single (critical hit anyway), Summertime! mixes 80s Factory indie with a distinctly Beach Boys sound. Whoever would have thought that would make such a good combination? Actually, The Raveonettes gave us clues about this with their first couple of records.
Taking their influences from the 50s and the 80s, The Drums are more than retro. They’re double retro. But like all good bands who unashamedly suck up the best influences of the past, they put their own contemporary stamp on things and keep it all fresh.
‘I wanna go surfing’ is here again as the opening track. That’s fine by me, it’s such a cool tune and the perfect song to kick-start the Summer / get you through the Winter, depending on which hemisphere you call home.
Make You Mine is sparse and reverb laden, a melancholy lyric made sweeter with handclaps, whistling and ridiculously jaunty keyboard sound at the end.
On Don’t be a jerk, singer Jonathan Pierce sounds like Robert Smith singing 60s blue eyed soul, with those popcorn keys bouncing around to good effect. There’s some sweet girl harmony vocals too.
‘Submarine’ swings more firmly back to the 80s indie side of things. Even the song title sounds like something that would sit well on an Echo and the Bunnymen album. It’s a perfect indie pop song, spruced up with theremin.
‘Saddest Summer’ picks up the tempo with a tune and melody that’s so insanely upbeat, it seems to be taking the piss out of the lyrics. ‘This is the saddest summer ever’ sings Jonathan, to a tune that would better fit ‘this is the best day I’ve ever had in my fucking life!’ . It’s the best example of the way The Drums juxtapose 50s surf optimism with 80s indie melancholy.
The EP is out now on Moshi Moshi.
The band are also touring the UK, right now!
Tuesday 20th October – In The City Festival @ Night & Day, Manchester
Wednesday 21st October – Deaf Institute, Manchester
Friday 23rd October – Club NME @ Koko, London
Saturday 24th October – SWN Festival @ Dempseys, Cardiff
Tuesday 27th October – Barfly, London
Check out The Drums on myspace
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