A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the “Lost Boys Of Suburbia” b/w “One More Time” split 7” single by The Drowns & Plizzken. It doesn’t feel as though it happens very often, but some releases (and their contents) defy explanation. Like, how does a song appear on a single and nowhere else – particularly when the song in question features such a high quality level? It might not feel like it makes sense, but it happens – and it has happened on this new split single released by The Drowns and Plizzken on Pirates Press Records.
To its credit, Plizzken’s contribution to this 7” split is respectable. The song (“One More Time” – which appears on the B-side) plaus very much in a similar vein to all the son gs which appeared on the band’s …And Their Paradise Is Full Of Snakes LP. This time out (as was also true on occasions before), singer Sebastian Walkenhurts happily runs through the motions of not exactly knowing how he ended up where he is (“Woke up in another bed, and far away”) which leads to the conclusion that it must have been a good night while guitarists Erik Henning and Silvio Schlesier erect a road-ready chord progression which plays well but doesn’t leave a lasting impression. It’s fine – not great but not poor – which (unfortunately) makes it perfectly forgettable.
The A-side is where the real story is, on this single. There with “Lost Boys of Suburbia”, The Drowns seem to go out of their way to make sure that a spotlight on them consistently throughout this song; singer Andy Wylie shines as he spits lines about boredom and DIY kicks (“All work and no play makes Jack a fuckin’ mess” coupled with other lyrics about being lined up around the block, waiting for the show to start), while the band knocks through the kind of presentation that every punk band knows how to make (scruffy, rhythm guitar-heavy sound with no frills but plenty of great hooks) but not every band knows how to make well. The Drowns do it beautifully here though, and listeners will feel energized by the sound, be ready for more when the song ends and (unfortunately) may feel a little awkward when they realize that there’s nothing else to find on this 7” – it’s “one and done,” and that just feels wrong, here.
It’s hard to know how to feel about this single, after listeners have been exposed to it. On one hand, those who hear it will be thrilled that they’ve found “Lost Boys of Suburbia” – but they may be left confused when they realize that the only place to find “Lost Boys of Suburbia” is on this single and, with it only having received a 500-copy press on oxblood-colored vinyl (which is a darker incarnation of maroon – for those who skipped color theory in art class), it can’t be the easiest single to find. That said, we can only hope that “Lost Boys of Suburbia” gets included on a future Drowns release, and it doesn’t get lost when the current pressing runs out. [Bill Adams]
Artist:
https://www.facebook.com/thedrowns/
https://www.plizzken.com/
Album:
The new The Drowns/Plizzken split single is out now. Buy it here, directly from Pirates Press Records.
