The Drums Take It Beyond The Hype

From the moment The Drums release their EP Summertime! in 2010 the band is considered one of the hippest things coming out of Brooklyn. Their début album a few months later only added to that although there was also some criticism. The hype may be exaggerated and their live performances got mixed reviews. Maybe it wasn't all that great. Their second full length album Portamento has to prove that they are still a band that matters in 2011.


The Drums - Portamento (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
They first made a few changes to the band though. After guitar player Adam Kessler quit, drummer Connor Hanwick took on the guitar. Guitarist Jacob Graham switched to keys and they hired a new drummer and guitarist. It didn't change a lot to their sound. First single 'Money' showed that the catchy songs of the first album weren't a coincidence. The song has the same playful guitar riffs and the characteristic voice of Johnny Pierce. And Portamento is full of it. The seemingly simple songs are good compositions. The band sounds more relaxed than on their debut and it all sounds like it didn't any effort.

The vocals are right on the spot as well, although they are simple lyrics about things that young people in their twenties are involved with. He does push it a lot which can make it a bit whining now and then. There are nice harmonies and his falsetto is used sparingly. But in a song like 'Searching For Heaven' he's overdoing it. This song isn't good and the singing is more like moaning. This is the only time where the band goes wrong though. They make up for it with plenty of nice songs like 'Days' and 'I Don't Know How To Love' which have good hooks and make you hum along within no time.

The Drums are proving that they are more than a temporary hype. Last month they alreay played a convincing showcase in Paradiso that showed they have grown live too. The band have adopted to their sound even more and when they continue down this road we can expect more from them in the future.

This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

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ASIWYFA Take Venue By Storm

After seeing the band from Belfast And So I Watch You From Afar at the Lowlands festival in 2010 I was sold. Their energy and testosterone loaded progressive rock songs blew me away and I couldn't wait to see them perform live again. Unfortunately every time they were playing in the neighbourhood, I couldn't make it to their gigs. Nijmegen isn't exactly around the corner either but since I have family living near that place I decided to combine it with a family visit.

And So I Watch You From Afar at Doornroosje Nijmegen, October 7 2011 (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
We make it early to the venue and only a handful of people have showed up by then. We get to watch another band with a long name Do Not Run We Are Your Friends to warm us up. It doesn't sound bad but it proves too much for me. The singer of the band doesn't have a bad voice but her way of singing is definitely not working for me and becomes annoying by the end. Also they try to use many rare percussion instruments but it sounds too forced. For me it's a long half hour.



But then the main act take the stage and it's clear from the start why I was so impressed the first time. They fly into it with great energy. Their instrumental songs are so powerful and the band members are bouncing around the stage. It is that combination of power and energy that really appeals to me. Their last album Gangs is full of those songs and they work perfectly well on stage too. Tracks of that new album, their self titled debut album and EP Letters are balanced around the set. The band is tight and they play their complicated compositions seemingly effortlessly.



The crowd looks a bit hesitant in the beginning but with a band that is putting so much into it it's impossible not to give in. So by the end every song is rewarded with a well deserved big round of applause and loud cheers. They look like a nice bunch of guys and guitar player Rory Friers is the one that is mostly chatting to the crowd. He's thankful when people are applauding and is praising the energy of the crowd. After the gig when I'm getting my CDs signed they take the time chatting to everyone and are thanking people for showing up. In the end everyone is leaving with a huge smile on their faces.

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Setlist
1.BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION
2.Gang (Starting Never Stopping)
3.Search:Party:Animal
4.A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes A Long Way
5.7 Billion People All Alive At Once
6.D Is For Django The Bastard
7.S Is For Salamander
8.Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate
Encore
9.Set Guitars To Kill
10.The Voiceless
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The Seventh One Of Ladybug Transistor

The Ladybug Transistor are a group around Gary Olson who are making indie pop music. In general they are inconspicuous, easy listening songs and many won't ever have heard of this band. Yet they already have released six albums since 1995, but never managed to break through. In 2007 disaster struck with the death of drummer San Fadyl. Eventually they found a replacement and the band was reinforced with some new members. Now here's album number seven Clutching Stems.

The Ladybug Transistor - Clutching Stems (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)
And again they are relaxed pop tunes that are easily digested. The instruments and vocals are clear and the production is perfectly fine. Olson's vocals are sometimes vaguely reminding of Morrissey of The Smiths. The music however lacks courage and sharpness. It never gets exciting or are they trying something new. All tracks are complete songs, with a clear head and tail. But they are all written following the same recipe. With so many musicians in a band, you would expect more variation. But the arrangements and compositions are too easy and hardly noteworthy instead.

It does have some nice songs. 'Caught Don't Walk' has a pleasant horns part that makes it a bit different. 'Hey Jack I'm On Fire' has a change in tempo compared to most of the songs. But there are hardly any songs that stick out. And this makes the record quite weary and even boring after a few plays. Maybe nice to play in the supermarket, so no one will get annoyed, but hardly an album to put on at home to enjoy.

The seventh one of The Ladybug Transistor didn't turn into a new start. It's just the one of many volumes in a bouquet series. It's easy listening but with little to enjoy. It looks pretty tasteful on your plate, but in your mouth it turns out to be a tasteless bite. Maybe the band just hasn't anything more to offer. I don't think a break through will happen any time soon.

This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Cluthching Stems' on Spotify

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