Review
'Portamento' feels like opening the diary of your most intriguing friend - the pages slightly wrinkled from tear drops, yet somehow still sprinkled with confetti. The Drums created this wonderfully contradictory collection in 2011 after guitarist Adam Kessler departed, leaving drummer Connor Hanwick to pick up guitar duties while Jacob Graham drifted further into synth territory. The impromptu recording sessions in Jonny Pierce's kitchen (of all places!) gave these tracks a delicious homemade quality, like cookies still warm from the oven but with a hint of sea salt to balance the sweetness.
This sophomore album dances through emotional puddles with surprisingly dry feet, maintaining The Drums' signature nostalgic indie pop while adding new layers of complexity. Songs about love and loss float through the album like paper boats on a pond - seemingly fragile but remarkably resilient against the current. 'Portamento' showcases the band's remarkable ability to evolve during a pivotal moment in their career, creating music that feels both familiar and freshly discovered, like finding a favorite childhood toy hidden in the back of your closet that suddenly means something entirely different to you now. - Kinslie
