In the Dublin music scene, its not easy to sneak in under the radar. Bands are named the ‘next big thing’ before they’ve even played live where others are ‘destined for a number one’ (or whatever the equivalent is in these download days) before they’ve even seen a studio. The Northern Drones have, somehow avoided both and have toured and recorded for a while without the hype machine, or indeed The Hype Machine, catching on. And, while its nice to come across some top quality music without the hype, you can’t help but feel that they deserve it so much more than so many others.
This album, their eponymous debut, is very good. It’s powerful, it’s inventive, it’s divisive perhaps but it sure doesn’t sound like anyone else. Ever-present on the album is the jangling guitars (or perhaps the ‘northern drone’ of which they speak) and the rather muted vocals which give it a rather claustrophobic feel. It was recorded under a stairs, after all. Lyrics are scarce and not particularly decipherable when present but this is not an issue as the guitars and percussion (especially the cymbals) are dominant throughout.
The one bum-note on this fine indie-rock effort the third track, ‘Full Moon Killer’. It seems slightly jumbled and seems to be stepping on its own toes quite a bit. Momentum is recovered quickly, though, with the following tracks, ‘Northern Drone’ and the powerful ‘Solid Waste’.
Later in the album, specifically with ‘Many Ways’ and ‘Make a Deal’ The Northern Drones manage a rare feat. They have produced songs that are of, shall we say, ambitious length but, somehow, never feel laborious nor self-indulgent. ‘Enemy’, however, clocking in at just over three minutes, seems like a short sharp shock (just like the one you’ll get towards the end of the song when you’ll think your mp3 player is going to explode).
There is one downside to this album however, in that the tracks start to feel a bit ‘same-y’ come the end. If something a bit slower or quieter were thrown somewhere in the running time, it would do the album the world of good. For now, though, it’s still a cut above the rest.