2023 was a particularly busy year for The Drowns. The US punk ‘n’ roll band – featuring ex members of The Shell Corporation, The Briggs, and Success – released a split with The Last Gang, another split with noise punks Wonk Unit, and a cover of Sweet’s classic ‘Ballroom Blitz’. The latter continued to show off their massive love for 70s glam fare, having already covered Slade’s ‘Know Who You Are’ the previous year. In addition, they toured extensively, and their live shows even took in a huge run of dates across Europe. It’s almost as if The Drowns had long given up on the idea of sleeping…

The year ended with this double A-sided release, featuring two tracks slated for a future album release. ‘Just The Way She Goes’ and ‘1979 Trans Am’ are classic Drowns fare, in that both tracks shares a huge love for 70s vibes. ‘1979 Trans Am’ in particular, taps into retro sounds in a huge way when a rock ‘n’ roll riff gets augmented with a glam-ish stomp. With that in place, bright sounding guitars drive a tune that sounds like a punkier take on something from the Suzi Quatro catalogue crossed with something derived from Racey’s cheesy late 50s pastiches, providing a very familiar melody. It feels a little slow for the job in hand, but it’s certainly well played, and delivered in a way that helps the song sound like an old classic with almost immediate effect. Between a great guitar part, a really uplifting backing vocal and one of the simplest, catchiest hooks ever, the track more than holds its own. First, though, the listener has to get past one of the most unsuitable lead vocals ever. Aaron Rev Peters smothers the superb tune with a voice that sounds like Dickie Barrett circa ‘Devil’s Night Out’ era Bosstones…but with a massive frog in his throat. You can pretty much hear the phlegm rattle throughout, and it’s not so much “punky and threatening in an old school way”, as “you’re clearly not well – would you like to go and see the school nurse?”. Somewhere around the fifth play – assuming you’re able to persevere – it feels a little more natural, possibly even endearingly gruff, but it still feels like a total mismatch for what could have been one of the year’s biggest feel-good tunes…

‘Just The Way She Goes’ is actually much better, thanks to the mic being handed over to bassist Andy Wylie, whose clean voice fits far more into a melodic punk bracket. Armed with a superb riff that mixes classic Face To Face tones with a little punk ‘n’ roll bounce, the track sounds like the best throwback to the late 90s you’ve ever heard, whilst a huge, harmony drenched chorus really pushes forward the song’s more melodic intents. Between Aaron’s chunky guitar and Andy’s great voice, the track would automatically be a winner, but a brief slide into more of a punk ‘n’ roll mood to allow for a pointed lead guitar really gives everything a lift. Assuming ‘1979 Trans Am’ doesn’t quite do it for you, then this should provide consolation, as it’s a solid reminder of the band’s strongest musical chops.

Aaron’s voice will certainly be a stumbling block for new listeners, but these tunes are still solid enough to advertise the kind of band who deliver some very big hooks. With ‘1979 Trans Am’ showing how well The Drowns can hammer their way through gutsy rock ‘n’ roll, and ‘Just The Way She Goes’ leaving little doubt of their gifts with a melodic chorus, this two pronged, dual attack can be viewed as a great mini showcase for the Seattle punks. If you’re able to work your way past an obvious flaw or two, you won’t be disappointed. Even with those vocals on ‘1979 Trans Am’, this 7” ranks as one of The Drowns’ best.

November 2023