Drucella
I love it when we hear about a band that’s formed after the break up of another band, as simply it shows that the music will continue to be produced, people will still get to hear their tracks and you know that the world of music will continue to grow. That’s what’s happened here with Drucella, where, following the hiatus of Octalux, the band came about with the sole aim of recording with friends and allowing people to share in the music. With the album Ever In The Fray featuring tracks which are both old and new, this promises to be a personal journey through songwriting which we’re allowed an insight into.
Opening with Sunday Morning things seem to get off to a funky start, a twisted guitar line leading the way into a drum fuelled melee of key elements and providing the listener with a sound that’s going to get them moving. Dark and ominous whilst still managing to keep a sense of melody firmly in the forefront of the track, this is the sort of thing which is going to leave listeners wanting more, keep them moving and chanting along for the duration of the track – in short – it’s a great start! Pussy-Whipped on the other hand marks a definite change in the sound of the record, this time using a dark opening to launch into a far more urgent track, this time using key punk elements to form a track which is going to get pits moving and venues shaking down to their foundations. Despite the hard hitting and urgent start, the chorus which we’re presented with here is once again verging on the anthemic, offering up the sort of thing which everyone is going to be singing along to.
Death Sponge continues this raucous approach to things, once again using the guitar line to add in a sense of movement and a sound which is going to get those crowds shifting. This track is another live track in the waiting, the sort of track which will be used as an opener on a live show as straight away it’s going to get people moving and joining in, feeding off of the energy from the band. Moving into Sevant the theme of sludgy guitar lines continues, this time adopting an almost Bush/Silverchair style sound to the guitar work before ushering in those urgent vocals once again. There’s something about this track which has a bit of a mainstream edge, the sort of thing which could get played on the radio and be accepted if that makes sense. Either way, what you’ve got here is another track which is going to get people involved, get them joining in and make them realise why they need to get out to gigs more often!
The marked change of Beej (C’est La Vie) brings about a shift in the album, opening with a soft and acoustic guitar line before bringing in those awesome lines once again, this time toned down to accentuate the power of the track. Just So You Know and Among The Stars continues this idea of melodic mastery, each track offering up a slightly different approach but keeping that signature sound at the forefront of the production. It’s when Rain comes into being though that the honest backing sound of the band comes out and we’re shown the heart of the music, opening with a soft line once again but forming a track which seems to be brimming over with emotion. Using rain as the subject matter, the track adopts an almost story like approach, forming a sound which is going to get people sitting back, thinking and reflecting on what they’ve heard so far throughout this journey. To me, this track stood out as a serious highpoint on the album, showing what can be done when a band sets their mind on it.
Olympus, The Lesser Me and Seahorse all once again present slightly different outlooks on the album, each track offering a slightly different approach to things from raucous Sabbath like guitar lines through to Ocean Colour Scene like funky moments. Throughout these tracks I found myself simply sitting back and listening, there wasn’t the need for me to do anything else other than enjoy the tracks as they played out. As the closing moments arrive and Epic (not the FNM track no) comes around to close things though, I found myself shifting once again, moving along to the groove orientated southern style riffs on offer. This final track on the album is another serious high point for the band, showing that sometimes, the more simple tracks do all the work that’s needed as there’s nothing complex to distract you from the straight up good music on offer!
I like Drucella and the sound that’s going on, purely because it’s so diverse. Throughout this album there’s tracks which are chilled, tracks which get you moving, and moments which simply make you think about things, and that’s one hell of an achievement. Throughout the album there is a clear message, one that simply tells you that this is music created for all of the right reasons, for sheer enjoyment – and surely that’s the point!
To find out more about Drucella, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Sunday Morning things seem to get off to a funky start, a twisted guitar line leading the way into a drum fuelled melee of key elements and providing the listener with a sound that’s going to get them moving. Dark and ominous whilst still managing to keep a sense of melody firmly in the forefront of the track, this is the sort of thing which is going to leave listeners wanting more, keep them moving and chanting along for the duration of the track – in short – it’s a great start! Pussy-Whipped on the other hand marks a definite change in the sound of the record, this time using a dark opening to launch into a far more urgent track, this time using key punk elements to form a track which is going to get pits moving and venues shaking down to their foundations. Despite the hard hitting and urgent start, the chorus which we’re presented with here is once again verging on the anthemic, offering up the sort of thing which everyone is going to be singing along to.
Death Sponge continues this raucous approach to things, once again using the guitar line to add in a sense of movement and a sound which is going to get those crowds shifting. This track is another live track in the waiting, the sort of track which will be used as an opener on a live show as straight away it’s going to get people moving and joining in, feeding off of the energy from the band. Moving into Sevant the theme of sludgy guitar lines continues, this time adopting an almost Bush/Silverchair style sound to the guitar work before ushering in those urgent vocals once again. There’s something about this track which has a bit of a mainstream edge, the sort of thing which could get played on the radio and be accepted if that makes sense. Either way, what you’ve got here is another track which is going to get people involved, get them joining in and make them realise why they need to get out to gigs more often!
The marked change of Beej (C’est La Vie) brings about a shift in the album, opening with a soft and acoustic guitar line before bringing in those awesome lines once again, this time toned down to accentuate the power of the track. Just So You Know and Among The Stars continues this idea of melodic mastery, each track offering up a slightly different approach but keeping that signature sound at the forefront of the production. It’s when Rain comes into being though that the honest backing sound of the band comes out and we’re shown the heart of the music, opening with a soft line once again but forming a track which seems to be brimming over with emotion. Using rain as the subject matter, the track adopts an almost story like approach, forming a sound which is going to get people sitting back, thinking and reflecting on what they’ve heard so far throughout this journey. To me, this track stood out as a serious highpoint on the album, showing what can be done when a band sets their mind on it.
Olympus, The Lesser Me and Seahorse all once again present slightly different outlooks on the album, each track offering a slightly different approach to things from raucous Sabbath like guitar lines through to Ocean Colour Scene like funky moments. Throughout these tracks I found myself simply sitting back and listening, there wasn’t the need for me to do anything else other than enjoy the tracks as they played out. As the closing moments arrive and Epic (not the FNM track no) comes around to close things though, I found myself shifting once again, moving along to the groove orientated southern style riffs on offer. This final track on the album is another serious high point for the band, showing that sometimes, the more simple tracks do all the work that’s needed as there’s nothing complex to distract you from the straight up good music on offer!
I like Drucella and the sound that’s going on, purely because it’s so diverse. Throughout this album there’s tracks which are chilled, tracks which get you moving, and moments which simply make you think about things, and that’s one hell of an achievement. Throughout the album there is a clear message, one that simply tells you that this is music created for all of the right reasons, for sheer enjoyment – and surely that’s the point!
To find out more about Drucella, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls