The Drones
'Havilah'
Down Under doomsayers kindle a literary blaze.
Taking cues from Australian forebears the Birthday Party and the Scientists, with touches of Dirty Three's dusty rage, these country-tinged post-punks would be bookish if their shadowy, hell-bent narratives weren't so creepy. Opener "Nail It Down" sets the template with an anxious, loping beat that matches frontman Gareth Liddiard's throaty vocals as he slides from conversational to caterwauling. Sidewinding bass lines and slashing guitar help pull together ballads of marital woe ("The Drifting Housewife"), epic rockouts ("I Am the Supercargo"), and rousing takes on regret ("Your Acting's Like the End of the World").
Listen: "The Minotaur"
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