Encyclopedia - The Drums - Album Review

genevavalek
Oct 9, 2014
3 min read

If I had to describe this album in one word I’d definitely have to go with unusual, but then again what would you expect from The Drums? Now I’m not saying unusual is good or bad, because that’s for you to decide. ‘Encyclopedia’ is their first album in over three years since ‘Portamento’ was released back in 2011, which I’ll admit I was not particularly keen on. Of course former quartet, now duo, Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham have gone above and beyond to expose themselves in this innovative and raw album.

Pierce “decided that for ‘Encyclopedia’, I was going to really dive deep into myself and vomit up everything that I wanted to say” and I definitely agree with his statement. The emotions are so strongly put forward, not only in the song titles like ‘Kiss Me Again’, ‘Break My Heart’ and ‘Deep In My Heart’, but also through the almost ominous and sometimes menacing instrumentals. ‘Magic Mountain’ kicks the album off at a rapid pace that only makes me think of a chase scene in an old black and white film. The rest of the album alternates between fast and slow paces and altogether is a pretty solid mix. The sci-fi sound effects kick in at ‘Kiss Me Again’ and ‘Let Me’ and continues throughout the rest of the tracks.

I still can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the album, but the almost eerie vibe that is present throughout somehow puts my mind at ease. ‘U.S. National Park’ seems almost Lana Del Rey-like with its laid-back, hypnotic ambience that it is hardly comparable to ‘Portamento’. That’s another point I love about this album; it’s so uniquely different from the last."We were feeling very angry, confused and alone when we made this album, and we wanted to be very honest this time around, even if being honest meant making some people uncomfortable” Pierce stated as a result of the band altering from its previous quartet to original duo. The honest and intimate nature of the album is exposed not only as Peirce croons that “I saw the face of God”, “I wanted to love you but in my heart there is nothing left” and “touch me one last time”, but the album art itself speaks volumes to this. The remaining two band members huddled on the far side of the couch, somewhat leaning on each other for support whilst displaying un-welcoming body language. As the eye is inevitably drawn to the negative space on the couch , you can't help but think and wonder about the missing two. When you take this into account Peirce and Graham’s present situation, their vulnerable nature is undeniably left exposed to listeners.

As I contemplated the album title and tried my hand at interpreting it, I was basically at a loss. However in a recent interview Pierce stated, “’Encyclopedia’ seemed to fit as an album title, as this album really reflects all the different “volumes” of our lifetime as a band” and I can assure you I never would have guessed that. The complexities within the grungy/sci-fi melodies juxtaposed with the toned down, mystical tracks allows the listener to really take in all aspects that the duo have presented.

Overall I still sit on the fence about this album. I’m not quite sure it beats their debut album The Drums but its synthetic, outer-space-like, dreamy nature definitely draws me in for another listen.