Brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless, know to most of us as Drenge, have garnered plenty of attention early on in their career. A handful of singles, a blistering live show and the, somewhat unwelcome, love of former Labour MP Tom Watson can only take you so far though, so it’s a good job they’ve managed to hammer together a mightily impressive debut album.
With their twist on the White Stripes' setup, the duo are an exciting prospect for guitar music. ‘Drenge’ begins with the straightforward People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck, and there's a classic drawl to the vocals, a neat groove to the guitar and a frantic rhythm punctuated by crashing cymbals. Frankly, it's pretty refreshing.
A couple of tracks later I Wanna Break You In Half cranks things up into a hazy, distorted mesh of noise, where elements of Queens of the Stone Age come to the fore.
In the spirit of some of their influences, the pair sound like they're not trying at all. Oasis had that quality in their early days, albeit with a different sound. There is brilliance here, but without an evident try-hard approach. Halfway through the record, the listener has already been knocked around by the band’s previous singles as well as some astounding album tracks.
The second half, however, brings more experimental fare. The songs are grungier than those before, and Nothing sees the band toy with different beats. Even the eight minute epic Let's Pretend provides a new sense of excitement.
Drenge are a very intelligent duo, and that is reflected in their music. Their influences are laid out bare for others to see, but there's a real spark here and a fearless quality. This is a very exciting album, from a very exciting band.
Mon August 26th 2013 - EDINBURGH Electric Circus
Tue August 27th 2013 - DUNFERMLINE P.J. Molloys
Wed September 4th 2013 - LONDON Tipsy Bar
Thu September 12th 2013 - BATH Moles Club
Fri September 13th 2013 - TUNBRIDGE WELLS Forum, Tunbridge Wells
Mon September 16th 2013 - GUILDFORD Boileroom, Guildford
Tue September 17th 2013 - READING South Street Arts Centre
Wed September 18th 2013 - TYWARDREATH The New Inn
Thu September 19th 2013 - PENZANCE Studio Bar
Fri September 20th 2013 - TRURO Bunters Bar
Sat September 21st 2013 - MILTON KEYNES The Craufurd Arms
Tue October 1st 2013 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Wed October 2nd 2013 - CARLISLE Brickyard, The
Thu October 3rd 2013 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Fri October 4th 2013 - GLASGOW King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
Sat October 5th 2013 - DUNDEE Non-Zero's
Mon October 7th 2013 - LIVERPOOL East Village Arts Club
Tue October 8th 2013 - EXETER Cavern
Wed October 9th 2013 - BRIGHTON Green Door Store
Sat October 12th 2013 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Mon October 14th 2013 - CAMBRIDGE Portland Arms
Tue October 15th 2013 - MANCHESTER Roadhouse
Wed October 16th 2013 - STOKE Sugarmill
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