Drenge - Undertow
I think I've found my album of the year already.
Undertow is proof that Drenge pay no heed to the “difficult second album” cliché. The album comes across as a much more thought out and well planned effort than their eponymous debut, though that's a corker of an album as well. Whereas Drenge was a collection of straight up bangers, all great songs but relatively straightforward, Undertow shows a maturity in the boys song writing abilities. The tracks are just as thunderous and groove laden, but there's a new found finesse running throughout, alongside a careful consideration to the track order. Songs like Side By Side and first single We Can Do What We Want are catchy, infectious ear bugs that will crawl under your skin for days and have your feet tapping almost as fast as your heart rate, but the true crowning glory of the album is in its darker moments. Instrumental title track Undertow and closers Standing In The Cold and Have You Forgotten My Name? are behemoths of passion, loss and fury that belie the band's relative inexperience. Top it all with hefty, ground shaking riffs and merciless, relentless drum beats, and I think I've found my album of the year already.
9/10
