Garage Grunge

The Loveless brothers, Eoin and Rory, make up the British band Drenge, and on their new self-titled album they seem to offer a step up from the stereotypical, unpolished sound one might hear coming from a teenage garage band. The album clearly has some nice production touches, which help keep the album from fully turning into a mosh pit of noise.

The 12 songs are carried by fairly similar, simplistic melodies, something that is common for a true 90s grunge sound. With this self-titled album there really is no mistaking the genre. Unlike punk, grunge carries distortion without the same type of anger that is normally found in punk – and Drenge is quite true to form.

The snare hits and cymbal crashes are clear to the ear, while the rest – guitar and vocals – are partially clean, and partially distorted – depending on the song. All twelve tunes also remain on the fairly short side, which helps to keep the listener more attentive. This is especially helpful since the songs really seem to blend together. One exception is “I Don’t Want to Make Love to You,” which actually has more of that angry punk feel.

Overall, this isn’t the easiest album to listen too. However, that said, the Loveless boys have created an album that is a great reflection of classic grunge. The album is heavy in the right places, while still remaining coherent (for the most part). Drenge isn’t the greatest album in a cover to cover sense, yet the album does have some good singles, like “Bye Bye Bao Bao.”

If you like the old grunge scene, then this is definitely an album for you. Even if you aren’t, this might not be your new favorite album, but it’s still worth a listen.