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Never mind the fact that the Drums hail from the concrete jungle of Brooklyn. The trio’s best songs are the kind of brisk, breezy indie-pop perfectly suited for Florida’s coastal air. Of course it doesn’t hurt that the band’s breakout hits include obvious odes to waves, such as “Let’s Go Surfing” and “Down by the Water.” The former, in particular, has become inescapable thanks to its haunting, almost-annoying whistled hook, currently infecting TV airwaves through a Volkswagen commercial.
But rather than get stuck in the mire of all those hazy, beachy nostalgia bands of 2009, the Drums have continued to develop their sound on their sophomore effort, Portamento. It tightens up the band’s chirpy, twee/postpunk mashup that recalls old ’80s acts such as Orange Juice with enough Adderall zip for the iPhone generation.
Lead single “Money” can also be taken as a nonironic comment on the state of the music industry. “I want to buy you something, but I don’t have any money,” goes the chorus, despite the fact that the song was put out by the major label Island. Regardless of finances, the band’s profile has definitely increased a hundredfold over the past year. When the threesome returns to Grand Central this Friday, it headlines on its own without the Surfer Blood enticement it needed for its last show at the venue.
Fri., Oct. 28, 8 p.m., 2011
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