Drowners: Indie meets punk meets ‘good music’

American-Welsh alternative rock group “Drowners” have an amazing album out.

They recently performed at the Hawthorne Theatre in southeast Portland, a homecoming for one band member.

The group originated in New York and has recorded one album, which is self-titled and was released in January.

Their music is relevant to today’s youth because it is representative of a standardized model of what is known as “indie” or “alternative rock” music. Plus, lead guitarist Jack Ridley III is originally from Portland, but now lives and resides in NYC where he is known by many as a bartender at the hipster lower eastside Manhattan bar, Welcome to the Johnson’s.

Drowner’s music is basically what one would expect when they hear the words “indie” or “alternative.” Initially, the sounds of alternative rock band The Bravery came to my mind.

The vocals from their album have a punk rock vibe to them and it is obvious that the lead singer, Matthew Hitt, is British; he has that accent that could be compared to Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. Plus, it doesn’t hurt any that he is a young model.

Overall, the album is easy to listen to, although with melodies that abruptly jump from one song to the next creating a pause that could make the listener think it’s a break in a single song.

It might be difficult to tell when one song ends and the next one begins. Having an album that sounds like one song is not necessarily a bad thing because it shows a consistency in style. The group knows what they’re doing and are comfortable with the direction they are taking.

The short songs make it very easy to listen to the entire album in one sitting, and then play it again, to really feel the message.

Drowners’ lyrics are a bit dependent on nostalgia. They really make me feel nostalgic for the week-long cross-country road trip I never took.

With lyrics like “I’d carve along the avenue, retracing steps that we once took. And here I am looking at the sun, what else must remind me of you at some extent,” is it is easy to imagine driving toward the east coast, watching the sunrise.

For the most part, Drowners’ lyrics aren’t too specific to any situation, making them easy to relate to one’s own personal experiences.

Personally, I don’t like to rate with stars and whatnot, so I’ll just say ‘Yes’ to this album. I definitely recommend it.