This is what I wrote in October 2010 about Morrissey’s favorite band, sur and turf mood rings the Drums: “During a swoony, exciting half hour set at the Hammerstein Ballroom Saturday night, the Drums brought back the sorta gay coolness we haven’t seen since Morrissey was a kid. Connor Hanwick has a Smith-y bouffant, guitarist and co-founder Jacob Graham waltzes poetically, second guitarist has the stoic presence of a bassist and singer Jonathan Pierce? Pierce is a dramatic interpreter of intense, highly theatrical love songs.”
High praise right?
I followed that with a rave for the excellent Sartreistic sophomore album Portamento, “Oh let it begin, oh let it begin, oh let it begin…” and then: NOTHING. More of the same? Sure. but also better.
Then they disappeared after guitarist Connor Harwick quit the band and that was it since 2011 but THEY ARE BACK. They played a secret gig in Brooklyn last week, with just founding members Pierce and Graham and have a new song, the very weird and may take a few more spins told a small but devoted crowd packed awkwardly onto the rooftop of Manhattan’s Novotel for the Brooklyn-via-Florida duo’s first show in years. He and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Graham released “Magic Mountain” which skewers the melody a little too thoroughly I think but I may be wrong, and on second list I am pretty impressed.The new album Encyclopedia is out… actually I don’t know when it’s out… but it will be released.
The Drums are playing Bowery Ballroom on Saturday September 20th (and MHOW Tuesday, September 16th) and if they are half as good as they were last time, which they may well be because Jonathan is such a centerpiece to the entire scene, they should be well worth the while.
