The Drums (album)

The Drums is the debut studio album by American indie pop band The Drums. It was released June 7, 2010, on Moshi Moshi and Island Records. The album contains the singles "Let's Go Surfing," "Best Friend," "Me and the Moon" and "Forever and Ever, Amen" as well as "Down By The Water," which had previously been released as part of the band's Summertime! EP.

Recording

The album was recorded in Jacob Graham's apartment in Florida, the band's apartment in New York City, and in a shack in Woodstock, New York.

Reception

Critical reception

The album has had positive reviews. Jamie Fullerton of NME said, "The Drums have proved... there's still a hurricane of heartsore life in guitar pop." It also highlighted "Book of Stories," "Down by the Water" and "Skippin' Town" as particularly good tracks. BBC music critic Si Hawkins noted how the band utilizes influences from the Manchester music scene (Morrissey, Phil Spector, Peter Hook) for its tracks and encapsulate them through lyrics reminiscent of John Hughes films, saying they "skillfully conjure[s] a time long before credit crunches, when the most important thing in the world was your current squeeze." Q gave the album 4 stars, saying that "The Drums provide its steadiest beat in years" when referring to the album's impact on the indie music genre. Paul Neeson from The Skinny said of the record, "whilst at times as deep as the proverbial puddle is wildly infectious in its vivid sense of carpe diem," concluding that "They may well turn to vapour and disappear in the dawn of 2011; however, for now, as a guilty indulgence or otherwise, score your summer to the sound of The Drums."

Andy Gill of The Independent praised the band's new wave-inspired musicianship and Pierce's vocal performance but was wary of their "brittle artifice" and "disingenuous innocence" throughout the track listing, concluding that "they probably needn't worry about coming up with enough material for That Difficult Second Album; but next time, they might try polishing the songs a bit more." The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey admired the band for attempting to recapture the innocence of 80s indie music but criticized their musical charm for being spread thin and coming across as a formulaic imitation, concluding that "the Drums confuse sincerity with banality, and sweetness with sap, and end up recalling a less flattering label from alternative music's faltering adolescence: indie schmindie." Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone commended the band's concept of post-Ian Curtis New Order making Beach Boys songs, highlighting "Best Friend" for bringing "genuine gloom" to the proceedings, but felt "the forlorn-bubblegum formula feels vapid stretched over an album."

Singles

The first single to be released from the album was "Best Friend," which was released on March 29, 2010. The single found success in the UK, where it charted at number 110.