Sorry. I get kinda squirrely with these late hours. The drabs do hail from San Diego, but I have no idea where that Nova Scotia thing came from. They call their sound "slack rock", which I totally get (I think). They also call it "clandestine pop", which is just too cool of a phrase and a delight to type or say. Try it. Go ahead. Let it roll right off of your tongue....clandestine...pop! You liked saying it, didn't you? Sorry. Late. Squirrely.
Whether or not you enjoy saying "clandestine pop", you're gonna love this new EP (out TODAY--how's that for timing?)--"Here Comes The Joy"--from the drabs, if you have even the smallest bone in your body that likes to rock. Leaving aside the cool phrases, this is real Rock and, by the time they finish the last song, you'll be holding up your lighter and calling for an encore (dude, just play it again; duh). You'll hear some Psych influence, Garage, and there are some...I hate to call it "drone" because a lot of people don't like drone and because it really isn't. But they will drive a note all the way to the cliff and off (and, hey, I like that in a band). Vocals are confidently delivered in a Lou Reed manner. You can really screw things up if you're doing that style and don't do it right, but the drabs do it perfectly.
The EP opens with a killer track--the one I think is destined for greatness..."Santa's Got Toys". The lyrics are brilliant and the music is Rock the way God intended. If you liked "No Lou This Christmas" from a few years back, you're going to love this one just as much.
"This Year" slows it down a tad and we get some guest keyboard work from the always amazing A.J. Croce (yes, he's related, for anyone who didn't already know). I think its the perfect tune for a January 2nd (even though the lyrics point to an earlier date). Yeah, because "this year is gonna be different".
The closing track, "pub crawl", is the kind of closing track I imagine any artist or band would dream of. Awwwyeahhh, that lighter is lit up now, baby. A couple of things I mentioned above--the Psych and driving a note to the cliff and over--are most in evidence on this one. "pub crawl" is an instrumental and I can't really say its the least bit Christmassy... but I can say it is exactly the song you somehow knew you wanted to hear after the first three. I swear, long before it reaches its end, your entire body is vibrating in tune with the song. And it will be vibrating for quite a while after the song ends. Its an awesome exhilarating experience that I have to say I've only experienced with music once before (with a Nine Inch Nails track, if you're asking). And there are only a couple of "real life" sensations I can compare it to. One: on a roller coaster at that split second of near weightlessness just before you feel the G-force of that long drop. Two: the precise moment you fall in love. Its that heart-in-my-throat butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling. Talk about yer good vibrations.
You won't get any sleigh bells or "Wall of Sound" on "Here Comes The Joy". What you will get is a damn good Rock N Roll Christmas set with some unique holiday perspective. What you will get is four songs you are going to want to play over and over and over again. And, like Thanksgiving turkey, you're going to be anticipating playing it again weeks before you start thinking of listening to Christmas music. Every year. Halloween rolls around and you're going to start salivating at the thought of playing it. Of course, those of us who listen to Christmas music year round won't have that problem; we're gonna have turkey any damn time we want.
I know I rave about a lot of stuff, here. Its all legit. I love Christmas music and it takes a lot to disappoint me and not much to turn me on. But I really want to get across what a joy it was listening to "Here Comes The Joy" from the drabs. The very first time I checked it out, I simply could not pick up that virtual phonograph needle. It was a great ride from start to finish. And, hey, I'm still vibrating. I said "damn" twice in that last paragraph, too; that's gotta count for something.
"Here Comes The Joy" will be available in both CD and digital formats (as I understand it). It'll be everywhere in digital format, though it may take a day or a few to roll out to all the outlets (Amazon has it right now). The CD I'm guessing will be available direct from the drabs, so stay tuned to their Facebook and Bandcamp pages for details.
1. Santa's Got Toys
2. This Year 3. Mary Christmas 4. pub crawl the drabs on BANDCAMP David Bernat - guitar, vocals Steve Clark - bass Michael C. Stone - drums, percussion Plus Guests: A.J. Croce - piano on "This Year" Gayle Skidmore - backing vocals on "Santa's Got Toys" |