Local Drags.  A band or artist I’ve admired for a while.  As far as I’m concerned ‘Shits Looking Up’ was one of those underground diamonds you stumble across from time to time and every track is a banger and it blows your mind for no specific reason other than its full to bursting with great songs and style.

How can it be possible that this guy isn’t more widely known?  He plays good old wholesome heartfelt Rock and Roll like Gin Blossoms and a power popped Replacements mixed with the same qualities Beach Slang gets praised for.

Its loud pop songs pure and simple maybe an 11 on the Marshall Amp-omiter where you might find say, a Teenage Fanclub on a 9 – it’s that kind of ballpark.  Don’t believe me just test drive ‘Breakable’ and get back to me.  Some of the melodies remind me of prime-time Posies.

The hyped-up Americana of ‘Think Straight’ is a bit of bop til you drop that’s infectious and just downright good vibrations it’s as simple as that. Every song is like a notch up the ladder from the previous one until you start again and go back to the start and realise this is a wonderful demonstration in songwriting of catchy, pop hook, tunes and its a simple formula guitar, bass and drums.  Nothing fancy just let the song do the talking – no need for special effects or layers of synths or sequencers adding compressed drum tracks just rock and roll telling stories and having a great time.  Like magic just as I put the world to rights ‘My Skull’ has a synth haha! but don’t be fooled it’s only there as a texture.  with a great hook on the chorus, it’s such an uplifting record.

The album closes with some big acoustic chords on ‘Way Homer’ as you wait for the band to crash in on the chorus but it doesn’t in fact it just rolls up gently to its conclusion capping off another terrific record from Local Drags.  OH and as a cool aside the inner sleeve is a lovely reproduction of the suit worn on the outer jacket.  – Nice touch that on a really nice album.  Buy It!

For the UK try HERE

And for The USA HERE /  Bandcamp

Author: Dom Daley