aaamusic | On 23, May 2011

Drive are a new band. By new, I don’t mean they formed a couple years ago, or even formed a few months ago. Drive formed last month! And this is their first (released) demo. No, not even a proper single. Drive haven’t even played a gig yet (the first ones will come in July). And it goes without saying that they’re still unsigned. Because they only formed last month!

Despite this, the Hertfordshire quartet – who met at Glastonbury 2010 – are already getting UK and US radio play (not the major stations mind you – not yet anyway), and the first few bloggers have started furiously hyping up the band (one can just sense the oncoming blogo-frenzy).

‘No Feel’ is the reason why so many people have already latched onto Drive. An alternative indie track that sounds so professionally made that it’s easy to simply dismiss Drive as horrible liars who have actually been a recording band for at least a couple of decades. Their sound is oldschool alt-rock with hefty debts to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth. But although there are these elements of shoegazing and noise rock that too many bands are currently rehashing, Drive manage to sound authentic. The distortion is understated, the bass and drums are solid, and the vocals are raw but tuneful.

If ‘No Feel’ is something that this four piece can pen and record in just a matter of weeks of forming a band, then I’m very, very excited – and very, very scared – to hear what they will be coming up with in a year’s time.

Author: Clive Rozario