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Hi Sorry State fam! What’s up? Happy Cinco de Mayo on this rainy Sunday (as I write this)! At least in Raleigh, the weather is pretty wet and humid. There’s a nice celebration going on at a park near me, but it just started raining harder, so I may not get to partake in any delicious Mexican cuisine. It’s kinda gross to eat in the rain, anyway. Let’s see what else have I been up to? Oh! I got to see Sunny Day Real Estate a few days ago here in Raleigh at a sold out show. It was the 30th (yikes!) anniversary of their album Diary, so they played it in its entirety! I’ve only been to one other show like that where a band plays one of their old albums, and it was Less Than Jake last summer. Those shows are so fun because you are guaranteed to hear many of your favorite songs. I got to see SDRE last year at Hopscotch, but festival set lists are a lot different. They are usually pared down and don’t typically feature any deep cuts. So after this last show, I am feeling satiated. It’s crazy how many old bands have come out of the woodwork post-pandemic to reunite and tour again, but I am not complaining.
So my staff pick is sort of bittersweet. I don’t know why I dropped the ball on this one when we first received it (AND in a specially Sorry State exclusive color!). I’m ashamed of myself because this album should’ve been drilling my ear holes the minute we got it in. I didn’t mean to make a pun. The record is by the band Drill and it’s called Permanent. Which is pretty ironic, as I learned that this is a posthumous release, and there’s nothing permanent about the band, as they’ve already broken up. But it’s still a permanently fantastic album, and one of the most uniquely likable and exciting LP’s I’ve heard in a long time. The second I popped it on I knew it was for me.
The Philly trio is comprised of drums, bass, and synth. It’s a blend of arty, synthy, noisy, cheeky, risk-taking, impact-making, melodic post-punk. I haven’t heard something quite like this record. It’s very bass-driven, and the bass anchors this layered and frantic whirlwind of sound perfectly. The vocals are cheeky and aggressive, and sometimes desperate and frustrated. The vocal style changes add so much flavor to the music. The title track, Within Reason, is by far the best song on the album. I have that one on repeat. Within seconds, I was hooked. It was like I stumbled across a buried treasure that I wasn’t even looking for. A song that checks all of my boxes, as though it was written for the sole purpose of satisfying me. A pure banger.
The music has a 90s indie rock foundation akin to the Breeders, in that’s it experimental, atmospheric, and noisy, but in a much more brazen way. They don’t sound like the Breeders, but I could see how a band like this may use their style as a blueprint and then make it their own. The song Eggs for Now makes me think of the Breeders’ beautifully warped masterpiece, Pod. The Breeders ruffled the feathers of their indie sound by pulling in weird sounds, but it was more like background noise to add dimension, whereas Drill puts their weirdo sounds right out in front. The vocals shift from soft and doll-like to manic and screechy, but more abrasive and with much less commercial appeal. That is certainly not a bad thing. Most of the tracks are catchy and interesting, but I will admit I’m not a huge fan of the last song called Rocks. I don’t like extended periods of noise. I like songs that are more structured, and I don’t want to search for the beat. But this is just a minor gripe.
Overall, the album is just so eclectic and jam-packed full of sound and creativity that you just have to experience for yourself. But if you like the hyper-bizarre sound of Spread Joy, the melodic pop of Divorcer, the incredibly infectious synth punk of Cherry Cheeks, and the hardcore style (and similar vocals) of Judy and the Jerks, this one’s for you!
Thank you so much for reading! Until we meet again, friends.
-Angela