It’s been two-and-a-half years since the post-hardcore quintet Drug Church released their last album, Cheer. It still remains an unbelievably solid LP that encapsulates everything this band’s about, their heavy melodic guitars mix perfectly with Patrick Kindlon’s rough, shouted vocals and snarky, fed-up lyrics, leaving us with the perfect blend of punk, hardcore, grunge and post-punk.
Tawny follows up effortlessly on that solid foundation, even if it does bring more energy than it does originality. The EP’s first single “Bliss Out” is a tight and brief assault, clocking in at under 2 minutes. Kindlon’s vocals are as pissed off as ever, with the odd spoken word passage breaking up the hardcore-tinged guitar riffs and cowbell. The lyrics themselves are as morbid as ever, seemingly covering the death of a familiar face being treated with a matter-of-fact, ‘shit happens’ attitude.
“Oh man, what a loss
Catch you at the vigil
I got my candle ready
Celebrate a life or something”
However, the EP kicks off with a decidedly more mellow track, “Head-Off”. The vocals are melodic, the guitars are clean and drenched in a watery sounding chorus. This is all topped with a rather dissonant lead guitar, showing off Drug Church’s unique kind of ‘sweet and sour’ sound that’s found in so many songs, almost in a way that screams at the listener to not get comfortable.
The next cut, single and title track, “Tawny”, is undoubtedly the most straightforward track here. To be honest, it sounds like it could have been a cut track from the bands previous LP, with its jangly, off-kilter leads and chunky guitar tones. That definitely is not a bad thing, not in the slightest, but it makes me wonder where the next album’s gonna go, until the final track, “Remember to Forget.”
This track is more of a departure compared to the rest of the tracks here, beginning with the thick bassline and droning, somewhat melodic walls of guitar feedback. The chorus sounds almost heavenly with its ascending chords and reverberating leads, the lyrics even aware of how sweet it sounds.
“Just sing a little pop song
And everyone will love you”
It’s exactly the kind of bittersweet and biting personality I’m used to finding in a Drug Church song, and the execution is spectacular. I’ve said it already, but Kindlon really does sound fed up, in the best way possible, to the point of telling the audience “We do not want to make a fucking pop song, so here it is”. It’s smart and absolutely cutthroat.
Tawny is absolutely worth your time if you’re a Drug Church fan. It’s definitely not a detour from what you’d expect, at risk of maybe sounding a little samey at points, but it’s a nice appetiser before their next release, which I can only assume will be a new LP. In the meantime, enjoy this bite-sized portion of post-hardcore snark. Tawny is available now via Pure Noise Records, and you can purchase or stream the EP here.
7.5/10