Drain
Album Title: At The Door
Record Label: The Drain
Review by Sal Serio
(1734) Page Views
The Drain - At The Door
It’s the Summer of 1988. The Midwest is stuck in a dry, brutally hot stretch of drought and dust. I accelerate my rusted old Buick, driving as fast as I can without drawing unwanted police attention. The windows down, and the stereo blasting out a crisp, snappy beat framed by frantic buzzsaw guitars.
A gathering is in the distance. I draw near and see a makeshift stage with the MTV “120 Minutes” banner drooping from the lighting rig. There’s something oddly familiar about the goofballs onstage, and then the singer’s hair provides clarity. Robert Smith! And the band looks familiar too… the Pixies’ rhythm section… with Daniel Ash and Steve Diggle on guitars! But suddenly I feel like I’m in vortex, being whisked quickly away from this event, like whirling inside an inverted tornado.
It was just a dream. I rub the sand from my eyes and realize that I left The Drain’s CD playing on repeat, and it’s infectious spasmodic soundtrack colored my nocturnal remission. This is no retro trip, yet provides a reminder of music I sorely miss. Throw it on and I dare you to not be drawn in by Justin Polka’s perfect balance of nice/gnarly vocalizations. A crooner with bite, and a band that rocks tight.
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