Compared to past Drums albums, Brutalism sounds more focused, more personal, and for better or worse, more like the concept of a single individual.
When we last heard from the Drums, it was 2017 and the band had just released their fourth album, Abysmal Thoughts. Critically, the Drums were also less of a “band” and more of a “Jonny Pierce” (the founding frontman who is now the sole member). Abysmal Thoughts was fairly impressive for a solo effort, but the band’s lineup fluctuations up to that point inspired me to end my review of that album with “it remains to be seen if the Drums will remain a solo act in the future.”
Now, two years into the future, we have the benefit of being able to answer that rhetorical question with a succinct “yup, still just Jonny Pierce.” Brutalism is the fifth studio release by the Drums, the second time Pierce has put together an album by himself, and the first to be recorded with a live drummer. On paper, there are marginal changes between Brutalism and Abysmal Thoughts, but Brutalism sounds more focused, more personal, and for better or worse, more like the concept of a single individual.
The Drums have been one of the most pop-attuned indie rock acts for a decade now, and this is only exacerbated on Brutalism. Pierce said in an interview about the album “I was always fascinated with how pop could package complex ideas in a three-minute time span, with lots of dynamics.” Sure, listeners have experienced this ever since the Drums released the infectious single “Let’s Go Surfing,” and Abysmal Thoughts had the bopping “Blood Under My Belt,” but Brutalism represents a shift away from the jangle pop that dominated their initial albums. Here, only “Body Chemistry” and “Kiss It Away” have the airy guitar chords and prominent, thudding basslines that became something of a Drums trademark by their second album Portamento.
Instead, Brutalism showcases a broader range of “pop,” one that moves away from the Drums’ origins as a full rock band. This includes a drift towards electronica, as is the trend these days, which is evident right from when the opening track “Pretty Cloud” substitutes the guitar for a synthesizer and utilizes samples of an automated voicemail recording. Sometimes the electronic touches are more subtle, like how the title track uses a snippet of Pierce’s voice for an instrument-like effect, and how “Kiss It Away” has some glitch-like splicing towards it end. However, Brutalism’s most intriguing new pop directions are those that showcase totally new styles for the Drums. “626 Bedford Avenue” is a real highlight, mixing dance-rock with a psychedelic flair, vaguely like mid-career of Montreal. Likewise, “Loner” starts as a heavier, guitar-centric rocker, but reaches its peak once Pierce’s voice is joined by backing vocals from a children’s choir. Normally, we here at the Indiecator aren’t a fan of children in songs, but here it really does work.
If the instrumentation on Brutalism represents a break from the past, Pierce’s lyrics serve as the constant reminder that this is still the Drums, regardless of the lineup changes. He has always had a knack for writing lyrics that mix heart-on-sleeve emotion with enough bluntness to make you do a double-take, as seen in earlier choruses of “I want to buy you something, but I don’t have any money” to “they may hate you, but I love you, and they can go kill themselves.” Brutalism is altogether more personal, with the title track’s verse “when I’m alone at night and the TV is on, I grab your t-shirt and put it over my face” explaining the album’s peculiar cover. Pierce shows similar sensitivity on the acoustic ballad “Nervous” when he sings “being nervous around you, that’s something new,” but is at his best when engaging in his tried-and-true contrasts between upbeat melodies and lyrics like “It’s just a little blip of joy, can I feel it again?” on closing track “Blip of Joy.” Each Drums album has felt a little more confessional than the next, and Brutalism really hammers this in.
As far as strikingly blunt lyrics, Brutalism is sometimes hit-or-miss. At best, Pierce delivers lyrics that are either intentionally or unintentionally funny. For instance, “626 Bedford Avenue” is a tale about an awful past fling, containing the advice “you might be a psychopath – you might want to check that.” The track “Loner” takes the cake though: Pierce remarking “do you have something good to say? Cause I’ve got 300 elephants shitting on my grave” creates a hilarious image if taken literally. At worst, these lyrics are just kind of awkward. The titular cloud in “Pretty Cloud” is obviously meant to symbolize a person, not a literal body of condensed water, though you might have your doubts when Pierce sings “sensitive to temperature, sensitive to moisture.” On “Body Chemistry” the bridge consists of the lines “I know some good luck and a good fuck/a nice glass of wine and some quality time is gonna make you mine,” which just feels like it’s utilizing the most predictable rhymes possible.
It would be hard to call Brutalism something like a “turning point” or “crossroads” for the Drums, as the previously-dwindling lineup suggests the band/Pierce have never thrived in stability or complacency. Furthermore, despite the stylistic and tonal changes on the album, it still has the familiar Drums pitfall of its singles and peppier fare really making the remainder of the album seem bland – for instance, it’s hard to imagine listeners naming “I Wanna Go Back” as a standout. This probably doesn’t matter though, since reading interviews about Pierce’s feelings towards the musical production process really gives you a sense that he records as part of a genuine need for self-expression, and not to placate any critics or fans. Even though he admitted to being less of a perfectionist this time around, and let collaborators in to assist with the recording process, the album definitely feels like Jonny Pierce’s vision. As such, Brutalism is a vision that entertains you as it seeks empathy, and one that will feel different, but not entirely new.
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