The Drones GALA MILL Review, ATP Recordings
By Sasha Syeed
(For fans of early 90s Bad Seeds records, Nikki Sudden, the Stooges,
Crime and the City Solution, mid-'70s Neil Young...)

This is a damn-near perfect album, I'd say something like a 9 out of 10.
Gala Mill is The Drones' latest album (2006), what they were touring the States
and elsewhere for. Now often enough, if you get into a band
after seeing them live, the recorded, studio product usually
can't hold a candle to what you experienced, but not true
with The Drones. In fact, the album trumps the live show
by having a beautiful crystalline sound, a more distilled
presentation of the songs, THE LYRICS, the stories, and
the singer, Gareth Liddiard's extremely expressive voice.
It's mixed exceptionally, and the album is quite dynamic.
It sounds like it was recorded mostly live, with perhaps a few
overdubs, even including the lead in quiet studio chatter
"we rolling" type stuff. The production is pretty clear, plain,
unobtrusive, like they were playing not at top volume in your living room.
And importantly, you can always hear Gareth's feral voice.

"I said that time heals and time forgets But time arrived
at motel ceiling fans They just hang there above Your
empty head After the rent is paid After your heart's gone dead"

The electric guitar, the primary instrument, has all of the heartfelt ache
and expressiveness of Neil Young's mid 70s albums, from
Tonight's the Night through Zuma, On the Beach etc.
Gareth's lilt singin' is sloppy as fuck, but empathy,
beauty, simple chords backed by tasteful drums, and the bass
and the occasional female vocals of Fiona Kitschin, are more important
than "a pretty voice", always. Some say Leonard Cohen
doesn't have a pretty voice. Fuck that. Worth is found elsewhere in lasting things.
Their merit is beyond "pretty".
For instance, the overtracked vocals of Fiona on
"Words from the Executioner to Alexander Pearce" are
searing in beauty, even more so with the dissonance as the
makeshift choir of her.
This is one of at least 2 songs based on actual stories of prisoners.

Almost half-way through the album, the first straight-up rock song
enters with "I Don't Want to Ever Change," with it's breakbeat drum part
and the whole thing is under 4 minutes, the first song like this.
But don't be fooled, this rock song is still more potent then
most bands out there at their most straightforward.
His singing still is off, and he goes fucking nuts.

"Work for Me" has Fiona the bass player on lead vocals.
It's a nice sexy song that is about the hold women have
over men in life, that is sexual politics, the prison they
can hold us in, the slaves that we can become as men,
and their unwavering dignity and stature. I really like
the violin overdubs, and the slight production makes them seem
like they're from another century, recorded on an old acetate or something.
Then they're gone and it goes back to the verses.
I know, it probably seems sexist or something to call
this song sexy, but listen to it. It is, in a nice way though,
not in a slut way, asshole.

"Sixteen Straws" is the final epic downer song. Now, downer
is not a word I ever use to describe songs or anything.
But that is undoubtedly what someone else might
refer to a song like this, that ends an album at 9 minutes long.
This is not a bad thing, much to the contrary.
THIS TRACK IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS EVER RECORDED.
This is another song based on prisoners, on this one, from the
point of view of a traveler, re-telling the words of a catholic convict prisoner
who witnesses many things in prison. The prisoners draw straws to see who commits suicide, and which prisoner gets to repent.
"Shall we go to the gallows Be done with our woes?
Fair plays all I'm asking We'll draw 16 straws".
The song solely features Liddiard singing and on acoustic,
and the drummer Mike Noga on harmonica only. The instrumentation
almost makes you feel like you're in the cell with them, beaten,
bloody, horrible stories witnessed, death down every corridor.
"His chief flogger was mad I heard a prison guard say
He's wash his lash in a bucket, then drink the remains"
Its disgusting violent images like this
that make the entire album synonymous with Nick Cave's
recent screenplay THE PROPOSITION.
The words he sings, are of terrible things that I'm sure
were much more common in the days when the story is based.
Although with the constant political and religious
Turmoil, and violence in the world, maybe I'm completely
misguided in this statement.
Strange how a song so filled with blood and violence
is so beautiful. Well, strange for most people maybe, but not this reviewer.
BUY THIS ALBUM FOR THIS SONG ALONE, and you get
8 other wonderful, mostly mellow (but very arresting, empathic) rock songs
comprised of mostly guitars, bass and drums, and some back-
up vocals. It's a normal band set up, but by far one of the
best releases of the last 10 years. I am a huge fan now, and
I wish I could see them again soon, as I'm now familiar with
the tunes. Plus I could buy those first albums (which they still play from).

 

 

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