The Drums are quite cheeky to be so hip. They’re in the middle of indie pop’s most beloved snake pit where bands slither around each other trying to get the attention and playtime. At first, when their eponymous debut album dropped last year, I felt like their music was a bit calculated and feather light to make a lasting impression. But if the album cover tells us anything it’s that The Drums belong on stage. They’re one of very few bands who manage to not sound more rocking onstage which benefits their simple and effective pop music and makes it sound full and rich instead of weighing it down. And Jonathan Pierce is a force of nature. When I saw The Drums play at Debaser Medis in Stockholm last Autumn he was cocky, happy, cool, relaxed and charismatic all at the same time and had an average energy level of 110% throughout the entire concert. He’s probably one of the most charming frontmen out there making The Drums a must-see of all the buzzbands you could see. I’ve never listened to their music in the same way again.
Let’s Go Surfing at first sounded like a super-simple indie pop ditty sending a semi-ironic wink to the lazy, sunbaked, beach-based waves washing over indie music of the last few years. Now I can hear Pierce’s charisma shining through, because I’ve seen him lunging himself to and fro’ over the stage in an ectastic state of urgency. In the future The Drums should be remembered for making indie kids all over the world address the president of the United States and, shouting, letting him know that they care about nothing and wanna go surfing. It’s the song we all shout along and dance to because we know that we’re perceived as the lazy slacker generation and allow ourselves to act like it for 3 minutes just so we can face the next day of hard work and no future. It doesn’t get more post-punky than this.
Listen to Let’s Go Surfing on Spotify!
Or watch the youtube video below!
