Label: ATP Recordings Rating: 3 guns
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Written By: PSG
While Havila is a very pretty album name, I think The Drones would have been better off picking “Sounds of Our Lives.” The songs on this album have a very common thread in that they seem like they belong in the background of many day-to-day scenes. “The Drifting Housewife” for instance belongs in a romantic moment while “Careful As You Go” could be a lullaby. “Cold and Sober,” while a bit mumbly on the vocals, would create great ambience in a restaurant with some dimmed lights. Hitting the tropics for a vacation? Make sure to include “Luck In Odd Numbers” for a lengthy (almost overly so), beachy number. “Penumbra” is definitely for sinking into the tub after a long day.
The Drones will probably appeal most to those who were teens in the 1980’s. The album has unique, sexy, deep vocals paired with a guitar work which merits a fair comparison to Aerosmith. While enjoying “Havila” listeners will immediately picture themselves on the dance floor. The lyrics are rather adult, but not in the XXX way, rather they are grown-up, a nice change for the indie scene which often suffers under the image of being full of young bands with puppy love ballads. The Drones however are inescapably adult, and good for them as it allows them to have perfectly synced vocals and music, giving their songs a really balanced feel (check out “I Am the Supercargo” for this).
Two songs in particular stand out. “Oh My” is a really spectacular song. It holds a very pessimistic view, yet a realistic one, about life in general. The lyrics “Only ever happy when they’re burying their friends,” “Can’t say I did not try…” and “Time to get your gun license/I see four horsemen riding,” are really a comment on the world as it is now, and it fits nicely into this otherwise light album.
“Your Acting’s Like the End of the World” besides having a funny title, has amazingly clear vocals, fun guitar sounds and an oddly sarcastic romance which make this song something special. It is one of the longer songs on the album, but unlike its brothers, the length is appropriate in the case and very enjoyable.
If you liked The Drones, you’ll also like: The Format and Cheap Trick
