The Drums, 'Portamento' album review.

(released 12th September – Moshi Moshi/ Island Records)

Perhaps it’s because the days are getting shorter; the kids have gone back to school; my tan is already fading, and that sunny week in Zante is slowly becoming a distant memory… But on first listen, The Drums’ new record just doesn’t do it for me.  Let’s Go Surfing was undoubtedly one of the feel-good anthems of last summer, and following the huge success of their self-titled debut LP, the band have had a busy year of relentless touring across the globe.
So it’s impressive that the Brooklyn boys have been able to release sophomore record Portamento just fourteen months after its predecessor, and in fairness it’s not a bad album. Opening track The Book of Revelations gets off to a strong start, and early songs such as Days and first single Money are simple and catchy. The bass and synth combination on Hard To Love might sound like the background music from Lemmings, but the song works well with the addition of Jonny Peirce’s gloomy vocals, as he croons over some kind of heartbreak: seemingly the dominant theme of Portamento.
After electronic intermission Searching For Heaven, the latter half of the album takes a much darker turn. I Need a Doctor borders on the psychopathic (see “you know I love you, but I want to kill you”) and In The Cold is certainly more tormented than nonchalant. How It Ended provides an ominous conclusion to an album that is complex, honest, and perhaps more mature than the band’s debut. The Drums’ distinctive beach-pop sound remains firmly intact, but sadly Portamento fails to transport me back to a blissful summer feeling as I had hoped. Disappointing, but worth a listen.

Jo Southerd

LAURA MARLING- 'A Creature I don't know'- Album Review

This month has seen the release of many hotly anticipated albums. Therefore sadly we haven't been able to feature them all in the up and coming issues of Quench, but fear not that is where the blog comes in.
So if you happen to have something your itching to review let us know and we might be able to help you out on here!

An album that I have certainly been waiting for is that of Laura Marling. Her third album A Creature I don't know came out this Monday.

I would like to start this review without mentioning two other male artists she has been romantically linked to as I feel she deserves to not be defined by her love life. Anyway moving on. After the success of her previous albums (both were nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize) Laura has had the tough task of bettering herself, which at the young age of 21, is no mean feet.

I found A Creature I don't know difficult to listen to at first, perhaps this was because I love both Alas I cannot Swim and I Speak because I Can so much so that I still listen to them frequently. However I had to remind myself that I was the same when her last album was released. So after many more a listen I feel less hesitation towards the new path she has taken.

Once again Miss Marling appears to have progressed. The new album feels darker than her previous releases, demonstrating her maturing as an artist. She appears to have moved out of the 'nu-folk' bracket she helped establish and into the realm of the experimental or sometimes country as seen in Sophia. Her voice is lower and steeped in emotion throughout many tracks such as Night after Night and The Beast making her appear well beyond her years. The album perfectly displays Laura's talent as a songwriter, her songs are lyrically flawless and emulate a sense of ambiguosity that she exudes so well. Although we may never know entirely what she is singing about it is part of her charm.

This album is not as easy to listen to yet it is interesting. Songs such as Rest in my Bed and Don't ask me are my favorites for now, yet I'm sure this will change on further listens as has happened with her music before.

Various reviews I have read have linked Laura's talent to that of Bob Dylan and from listening to A Creature I don't know I am certain that Marling is heading towards being known as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time.

9/10


Emma Wilford