Drahla – ‘Angeltape’ album review: carefully considered chaos
THE SKINNY: Last year, I saw Drahla at Leeds’ beloved New Headingley Club. They played in the function room, which more commonly hosts birthday parties and meetings, on a stage raised barely a foot above the red patterned carpet. Still, they had the audience in the palm of their hand throughout the entirety of their set, a sea of unmoving eyes captivated by Luciel Brown’s distinctive vocals and the unpredictable strums that surrounded them.
With their second record, the art-rockers have proven that their ability to enthral is not limited to their expertly crafted live set. Just as they refused to be constrained by the low ceilings of a room in the earliest stages of becoming a venue, they refuse to be constrained by studio recording, infusing Angeltape with all the ghostly intrigue and chaotic charm of their on-stage presence.
Brown’s vocals are the most obvious highlight of Angeltape, consistently cutting through the layers of saxophones and guitars that try and fail to drown them out. Her words are at once deliberate and detached, pulling phrases together at will and giving them new meaning. Drahla’s second record secures her place as one of the most promising and peculiar lyricists and vocalists in the current scene.
The record rightly centres her voice, but her bandmates never fail to keep up with it. Shrieking saxophones and grating guitars work with and against her words, affording them all the art-rock dramatics they deserve. Though the instrumentation sometimes veers into disorder and unpredictability, it never feels unintentional. Angeltape is a collection of completely considered chaos, the sound of a band who have perfected pandemonium.
For fans of: Music that makes you feel a whole lot cooler than you actually are.
A concluding comment from Elle’s boyfriend: “Drahla sound like a bunch of sleep paralysis demons who took music lessons.”
Angeltape track-by-track:
Release date: April 5th | Producer: Matthew Benn | Label: Captured Tracks
‘Under the Glass’: Wailing saxophones drag you under the glass and into the world of Drahla, though they’re quickly offset by grating guitars and Brown’s eerily angelic vocals. “What’s the ratio of good to bad?” she asks. If we’re talking about Angeltape, it certainly leans in favour of the former. [4.5/5]
‘Default Parody’: Guitars scrape and bend in equal measure on the album’s lead single, ‘Default Parody’, which rightfully pushes Brown’s delivery to the forefront once more. She splits phrases up in a way that’s almost robotic, making it all the more eerie as she states, “Sometimes you fall into yourself.” [4/5]
‘Zig-Zag’: ‘Zig-Zag’ is just as jagged as its name suggests. The phrase “angular guitars” has become all too overused amidst the modern rebirth of post-punk, but if there’s one band still worthy of its use, it’s Drahla. [3.5/5]
‘Second Rhythm’: Thudding percussion underscores the addictive, almost acapella intro to ‘Second Rhythm’, as Brown seems to lift phrases from thin air. She clusters words together, barely pausing for breath but always in complete control. [4/5]
‘Talking Radiance’: Brown’s captivating vocals can often take the focus on Angeltape, but ‘Talking Radiance’ proves that Drahla’s instrumentation is just as forceful. Discordant strums and grunge bass lines afford Brown’s considered words all the chaos they need. [3.5/5]
‘Concrete Lily’: One of the record’s slightly more straightforward and melodic tunes, ‘Concrete Lily’ provides a brief moment of respite with tuneful saxes and soaring strums. But don’t get too comfortable, the song descends into sparkling chaos as it reaches its final act. [3/5]
‘Lip Sync’: Static pulses and menacing guitars, unexpected pauses and whining saxes, Brown’s voice sitting just above it all – ‘Lip Sync’ is a distillation of Drahla’s sound. [4/5]
‘A’: Brown takes a backseat once more on the instrumental ‘A’, which devotes its entire runtime to layers of guitars and drums. It’s proof that Drahla’s intrigue isn’t entirely reliant on her presence, though it is sorely missed. [3.5/5]
‘Venus’: Drahla lean into their angelic eeriness with ‘Venus’, a tiny track that devolves from unexpectedly gorgeous keys into ghostly layered vocals. “Sometimes you fall into yourself,” they repeat, calling back to an earlier lyric. [4/5]
‘Grief In Phantasia’: Relentless guitars and off-putting chimes that sound as if you’ve forgotten to put your seatbelt on collide in ‘Grief in Phantasia’, the perfect collection of considered chaos to round out Angeltape. [4/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.