Pirates Press Records – 16 Feb 2024
They say the heart of rock and roll is still beatin', and from what I've heard I believe 'em.
I loved The Drowns' second album, 2020's Under Tension. It was among the very best records of that doomed year. I struggled with the Seattle band's transition from street punk to something much closer to straight up rock and roll on the six song 2022 EP Lunatics. It took a bit, but I finally came around. More than that, I am all in on the excellent Blacked Out.
Like Babe Ruth calling his shot, opener “Banger” sets the stage for the 11 songs that follow. Guitarist/vocalist Rev Peters' raspy howl leads the way, as it does on “Ketamine & Cola”. “Dynamite” was originally by British glam band Mud, and the title perfectly suits the song. Bassist/vocalist Andy Wylie sings lead on the earworm “Just the Way She Goes” and the raging side A closer “Yob on a Rampage”. Sandwiched between is the excellent title track.
“!979 Trans Am” might be the catchiest song on the record. The KISS references on the boy-meets-girl anthem “All Charged Up” cements Blacked Out as an unrepentant party record. The drums are very prominent on “Chancer”, as they are on the whole record. The rhythms definitely give this thing its swing. The Wylie sung “Wheels” captures the essence of growing up in a small town in a three minute rock song. “Don't Have A Job” is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the rock and roll lifestyle.
If the first 11 songs don't knock you out, the last one certainly will. Closing track “Born to Die in New York City” is different from anything the band has done before. It's just Rev's gravelly voice telling the sad tale of Johnny Thunders over a stark piano line. Even without the swagger, it's definitely a show stopper.
The Drowns forego politics on Blacked Out. The working class themes that they've always espoused are still there, but from a more lighthearted perspective. They've largely traded angst for fun, and somehow it works. For anyone who says that rock and roll is dead, Blacked Out is definitive proof otherwise. Once again, The Drowns deliver the goods.
For vinyl fiends: It's got an understated, glossy black cover with the band's name in neon. The name of the record is also black but in raised lettering. It's reminiscent of a little record by AC/DC called Back In Black. It's a relatively big first press with 1000 copies on black, 700 on neon yellow and 300 neon yellow inside ultra clear with yellow and black splatter.
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Part-time punk writer, suburban dad and angry old man. Follow my adventures on the Punk Till I Die podcast!