Pick of the Week: The Drums, Summertime! EP

When I first heard of The Drums as “Robert Smith meets surf,” I thought to myself, could it be? Is there a band out there writing the music that exists only in my dreams? Is there finally a band making the music that I always wanted to make, but couldn’t because of my lack of quality songwriting skills? Then I got worried. I thought, there is no way that The Drums are for real. But I have a confession to make: they are. These songs are are the kinds of songs that stick in your head for hours every day and beg you to listen to them ad nauseum. This EP is good in the the jump on the bed, call your ex-girlfriends, think of any excuse to talk about them, Yoplait yogurt kind of good.

I suppose I’m lucky that The Drums didn’t exist when I was fifteen because if I heard songs like “Saddest Summer,” and “Make You Mine” in high school, my adolescent self would have burst in a supernova of self-pity and Clearasil cream. On “Don’t Be a Jerk, Johnny” there is even a male/female call and response of “It’s eternal love!” and “No, it’s not!” What hormonally effected teenager could compete with that? It’s a testament to their slinky guitars, infectious claps, and outright strong melodies that make this EP not just another mash up of ’80s mope with flavor of the month indie rock but rather the first steps of an extremely exciting band.

-DJ Bears!