Man, This album has been out for a while. So long, in fact, that it might not do any good writing about it. I mean, those who know have had it for months (and likely those who don’t) have probably read all about it on plenty of other blogs. Honestly, that’s okay with me, I’ve been sitting on this cd for a while on purpose. So long, in fact, that I almost forgot to write about it at all, but as is now obvious, that’s not the case.
So why the delay?
You want the truth?
Because I saw Drag as a full band for the first time in years at the Suburban Home Records anniversary party, and every time I listened to this album I was reminded of that night and how it hit home how much I missed Drag The River as a full band. I’d sit there thinking about that, listening to a Drag record that’s basically just Jon and Chad, and I’d get depressed and put something else on.
Well, time passed, and as it did the rawness subsided and I began putting the album on here and there again. Listening with honest ears instead of mourning a time long gone. The album, is decidedly not a Drag The River album regardless of what’s on the CD cover’s spline. Now I know Drag ain’t my band, and if Jon and Chad wanna call this a Drag CD that’s well within their rights. However, if you watched Treme or lived in New Orleans post-Katrina, you may recall Ashley Morris’ famous FYYFF post, where he said that that the New Orleans Saints belonged to the city, not Tom Benson. One could argue that in much the same way, Drag The River is as much the fans’ band as it is the band’s band, and this (imo) isn’t a Drag album. Hell, the last track is just a song, and if that isn’t proof enough, then I just don’t know what is.
So, if the new Drag the River album isn’t a Drag the River album, what the fuck is it? It’s a ‘Jon and Chad with guitars and some sad songs with a few harmonies’ album, and as that…..it’s pretty fucking good. No, it’s really fucking good. It’s not a Saturday night album. It’s decidedly a late night, drinking alone kind of album, but let’s be honest; I, and probably anyone reading this blog, prefer those kinds of albums to Saturday night albums, anyhow. It’s a painfully strong 10 song album with no skippable tracks among them. In his review of Chad’s solo album, Romeo called it an album for coming down from a weekend booze and blow bender. This album would probably fall in the same category.
It may not be a Drag “proper” album, but it’s Essential Listening (even if it takes a while to get there).
Drag The River – Here’s To The Losers
Drag The River – History With History
Drag The River – Bad Kreuznach
Drag The River’s Official Site, Drag The River on Bandcamp, Buy Demons (pay what you want)
Autopsy IV
Part time blogger. Full time hater.
I believe this is the Demo to what will be a full DTR album. Don’t most of their albums start out this way? They just decided to share. Actually it reminds quite a bit of the Chicken Demos.
Most (if not all) albums have the last song as one long track… It’s what they do…. On cd atleast
that’s what I’m saying….the last track is just one single song…not the usual whole album.
It’s fun to find bars that have DTR on the jukebox and play the whole album for the cost of one play.
This is what Drag The River songs sound like as they are being written. Before the amps are turned on and the drums are set. 10 of 24 songs tracked in July & August of 2010. The songs will be rerecorded for a brand new studio album in 2011.-DTR Website