Encyclopedia
Like their sonic forebears The Smiths, The Drums have a signature move of mixing sweet and sour: their mostly morose lyrics ride over a bed of deceptively cheery indie pop. Following the success of 2011\'s lovely *Portmanteau*, the band toured heavily and lost one of their members in the process. *Encyclopedia* is the product of founding members Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham holing themselves up in a cabin in upstate New York, which might explain its shut-in quality. It\'s a gloomy record, almost gothic, with songs like \"Let Me\" and \"Face of God\" evoking Joy Division\'s somber drone, and others such as \"I Can\'t Pretend\" and \"Bell Laboratories\" exploring languid rhythms and gossamer textures. The smirking pep of previous releases shows up in tracks like \"Kiss Me Again,\" but *Encyclopedia* is better suited to rainy days than sunny ones.
Three years after the Drums' so-so second album Portamento, Encyclopedia makes much stronger overtures to the band's thinning crowd. It’s a weirdly charming album: the Drums succeed on their own terms, but their terms never change, they just try harder.
The Brooklyn now-twosome seek reinvention, honesty and hope on their first record in three years
The Drums were the kind of nostalgic indie-pop band that made people want to jump for joy. Even if you were left jumping at…
The use of more electronic instrumentation is both what separates ‘Encyclopaedia’ from its forebears and also what makes it somewhat disappointing.
The third record is the proving ground. Great debuts are a dime a dozen and surpassing the sophomore slump is an impressive feat, but the third time's the charm for a reason.
Review of The Drums' new album ''Encyclopedia' by Northern Transmissions, the LP comes out on 9/23 via Arts&Crafts. The lead track is "Magic Mountain"