Drahla - ‘angeltape’ review
Drahla by George Brown
Get excited because Drahla are releasing their newest full album “Angeltape” on 5 April via Captured Tracks after a 5-year hiatus. The introduction of new guitarist, Ewan Barr, has inspired a new experimental and philosophical album as ‘there was an uncertainty and anxiety in not knowing how to rekindle what they had, and what they did have just didn’t exist in the same format’, thus restructuring their band allowed them to carve a new sound. “Angeltape” fills the gap between their critically acclaimed debut album and this release - speaking to the devastating losses experienced by the members of the band. This album looks at grief in a greater sense as well as their personal experiences, “It’s navigating loss of life and life with loss” in Brown’s words and celebrating the sentimentality of support during hard times.
Whilst having taken some inspiration from the rock band, The Heat, this album is inspired by their experimental intentions rather than the sound that the band had created. Instead of having a particular sound they wanted to replicate, this album embraces authenticity with each song having a unique form of controlled chaos, different strands of ideas that are interwoven throughout as they meet and divert throughout each song.
Brown testifies, “lyrically it’s taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s ‘to be or not to be’. To be, I see, what is, to be’ it’s a one-way deconstructed conversation with yourself. And this is explored though the lack of consistency and the experimental aspect of this album. Life is ultimately everyone just trying to find what works and this album explores this through the lyrics but also through the sound.
The first song in the album is ‘Under the Glass’ opens with a dramatic saxophone solo by long-standing collaborator, Chris Duffin. Saxophone has been used in theatre to represent grief and emotional distress as seen in ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams which I couldn’t get out of my head whilst listening to this album. Its so fitting to the experimental aspect but also the consideration of grief.
‘Venus’ has a very different feel to the other songs as an interlude to the album. The gentle piano solo that continues throughout has a sombre feel. Only three lines and a piano melody, ‘Venus’ is very different to the controlled chaos of the rest of the album. “Venus reached over me, as though I was not there,” presents idea that Venus – a god that is symbolic of love and beauty- has ignored the speaker; tragically alluding to a sense of loss and sadness that’s created by the sound of the song. This interlude functions as a moment of clarity, the way that it stands out makes it seem as though the last song of the album, however one more song follows.
Returning to the former sound, ‘Grief in Phantasia’ is the final song and is punctuated by saxophone that takes its place in the background of this song, contradictory to the ‘Under the Glass’ where it’s the most prominent sound. This song goes straight back into the controlled chaos without a second thought. “What happens all the time is not what happens all the time” as contradictory as this phrase is, it is an exploration of the existence of grief; people die all the time, but it doesn’t happen all the time to individuals and it’s not a feeling that one can adjust to. This song, in particular, has a similar psychedelic aspect that can be heard in ‘No Return’ by Craig Wedren and Anna Waronker.
Overall, this album avoids predictability so effortlessly which is replicatory of life. The lack of consistency keeps the listener guessing as it stimulates the brain in just the right way. This album by no means is the kind of music that could idly play in the background of a bar or café; its captivating, and the nature of Brown’s voice in the spoken word style is all-consuming. Transfixed on the nonchalant way of singing, this album is reminiscent of Wet Leg’s ‘Chaise lounge’ but also retaining a post-punk sound.
angeltape from Drahla is out 5 April via Captured Tracks and available on all good streaming platforms. Catch Drahla on tour across the EU and UK this May / June.
