Review: The Driers - Sad Party [August 2017]

It has been a while since I've written about Tel Aviv based alternative/rock trio, The Driers. Their 2015 EP, See You In Never, impressed me with its blend of punchy rhythms and beautiful harmonies (read my review here). Their long awaited debut album, Sad Party, provides very similar vibes.

Like on the EP,  Sad Party flirts with the likes of disco-tinged indie, alternative rock and even proto-punk; sometimes within the same song. Although all 10 songs on here are toe-tappers, there's still a bit of diversity among them. Songs like The Slides and Day One use interesting rhythm patterns provided by (previous) drummer Ben which'll get some hips a-shaking, while album opener Delayed, Fifty and Heartworms deliver faster and harder hitting punk rock beats which could have easily caused mass pogoing at mud-drenched music festivals in the 90's. The Invisible Girl also has a 90's feel but far more laid back, reminiscent of the Ash classic Oh Yeh! (the verses actually feel quite similar.)

Squeeze, a personal highlight from the album, teases you into thinking it's a sweet indie-pop song before erupting into an almost Weezer-meets-Violent Soho style chorus which conjures up images of long-haired teens jamming out their angst in someone's garage. The album's title track has one of the most infectious choruses which makes perfect use of guitarist Ronnie and bassist Tomer's breath-taking male-female vocal harmonies (similar to Band Of Skulls or Belle and Sebastian), a trait prominent throughout the band's work.

Although other bands do come to mind at times, The Driers are doing something very special; they manage to have one foot in the British indie scene of the last decade and the other somewhere in California in the 90's. While some Israeli bands who sing in English can come off sounding either too Israeli or like a poor imitation of their influences, The Driers sound totally natural, including some interesting and thought-provoking lyrics (e.g. The flight to my brain got delayed, And when it landed, it was too late..)

Although the mix of the drums, in particular, could do with being a lot cleaner on occasion, Sad Party still shows that the band has the potential for success abroad. Anyone who is a lover of beautiful harmonies, up-tempo beats and the odd dose of straight up rock thrown in will not be able to resist cracking a smile while listening.

4/5

I just want to tell you all ... CHECK OUT RYAN HAMILTON!

   This was originally meant to be a post of his latests video, but I've decided to simply make the a general post of how great I think singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton is.

Formally of indie band Smile Smile and later teamed up with Jaret Reddick of successful pop punk band Bowling For Soup to form People On Vacation, Hamilton released his solo album last month. I had the honour of reviewing it for TOXIC Online, and one of my tag lines has even made its way on to a poster for the album (pictured above). It is simply a very cleverly written album with relatable songs, all wrapped up in a mixed alt. pop/classic coating. You can read more about it in my review here.

From that album, Hamilton has released two singles and videos, both you can see below. Both Karaoke With No Crowd and 4 Letter Verb are bouncy rock numbers with a classic sing-along feel. It's hard not to be taken in by the "ooh la la"s on Karaoke.. or tap your feet to 4 Letter Verb's main riff. Whereas pop punk bands of today express their feelings in an angsty and pretty whiny way, Hamilton manages to wear his heart on his sleeves with pride and deliver uplifting music all at the same time. 

He has just finished a house party tour in the UK and is planning on going back again in March of next year. Although I don't think he yet performs with a full band like on the record, the songs are strong enough to get a great atmosphere going without the big production. If you missed him this time around, check him out on these dates:

As a side note, I just want to check something. Am I the only person who sees a resemblance between Hamilton and British Radio DJ and latest judge of X Factor UK, Nick Grimshaw?

New single by Meg Myers, Lemon Eyes

   Meg Myers, Nashville born singer/songwriter now based in LA, came to my attention via her song Desire (from the Make A Shadow EP) being in the background of a bizarre video of a semi-clad woman making a milkshake. (I can't seem to find the link anymore. If anyone knows which video I mean, please post the link.) As mesmerising as the video content itself was, it was the spooky and almost industrial vibe of the song that really stood out for me. 

 New single, Lemon Eyes, will feature on her upcoming debut full length, Sorry, alongside the previously released single of the same name and songs from Make A Shadow, such as Desire. In the same way as Desire, there's something about the mixture of Myers' vocals, the dark tones and the rock rawness of it all that makes Lemon Eyes one of the coolest contemporary pop/rock songs out at the moment. From the get go, the choppy guitar makes you realise that this song is going to be good. Even those into heavier music should be able to appreciate the splendid craftsmanship on display here.