The Drums : Portamento

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/thedrumsportamento.jpg" alt="The Drums : Portamento" /><br /> <i>Portamento</i> has been carved out of unstable circumstances, and is appropriately dramatic - capturing life in art. ...
The Drums : Portamento
7.7 Frenchkiss
2011 

The Drums : Portamento The Drums are a musical melodrama: guitarist Adam Kessler parted ways with the Brooklyn-based band at the end of 2010, internal bickering ensued, and a break-up seemed imminent.  Instead, the three remaining members managed to put together an even stronger album than their self-titled debut (2010).  Portamento has been carved out of unstable circumstances, and is appropriately dramatic – capturing life in art.  Frontman and drummer Jonathan Pierce sings of insecurities, death, love and loss, or simply not having enough money to buy his beloved something nice, as on the single "Money".

For a group that is often derided for imitating other artists such as The Smiths or Joy Division, they sound remarkably distinctive and modern.  They are definitely not imitative, but more influenced by the abovementioned greats.  Their electro-pop feel and Brian Wilson-like vocal arrangements indicate that they are not a banal product of the post-punk revival.  Jacob Graham’s layered, atmospheric synth and Connor Hanwick’s bouncy guitar licks untiringly support Pierce’s shattering vocals, most notably on "Book of Revelation", "Hard to Love", "Please Don’t Leave" and "How It Ended".  What some will deem to be ‘emo’ is actually quite the opposite.  Yes, the album is highly emotive, yet is also lyrically sincere and self-deprecating.  The abundance of rhythmic and melodic beauty on tracks like "Days", "Money", and "I Need a Doctor" balance the dark thematic content, making this album all the more interesting and accessible.

In spite of all praises, sometimes they misfire.  A tendency to crescendo at songs’ outro is, though generally exquisite, sometimes unnecessary and could have been executed more selectively.  Furthermore, this is clearly a record of two halves, the first being the stronger.  It is not so much that the album’s latter half is weak in itself; rather that it is foreshadowed by the brilliance of the former.  Regardless, The Drums, against odds, have produced an engrossing collection of whimsical and wholehearted songs to be listened to, enjoyed, and mostly, felt.

MP3 Stream: "Days"

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