Album Review: This Drama - Tarantula Mata

This Drama definitely have the credentials of a good punk-rock band. With the Bronx guitarist Joby Ford producing the album and Saosin guitarist Beau Burchell mixing it, they obviously have friends in high places. Hailing from the Canary Islands, This Drama mixes both Spanish and English lyrics into their songs, and although it creates a bit of a language barrier, it does make them stand out from the rest of the Sol-Cal influenced bands. This Drama are already developing a bit of a cult following, (partially thanks to their record label Deep Elm Records) and with this second album mixing punk, surfer and classic rock, it’s just the beginning for them.

‘Tarantula Mata’ starts as it means to go on. ‘Espera Miseria’ (or Expect Misery to us Brits) is a full on punk ‘n’ roll track, full of energy with pounding drums and ferocious hooks. The clean vocals work well with their sound, and this is one of the standout tracks on the album. ‘127 La Brea’ sounds like a Status Quo song to begin with, and ends up being an old Offspring track. It’s not the most innovative of songs, but I can guarantee people will like it. This Drama have an inane charm that comes through into their music, and you can’t help but have a soft spot for them. Even if the tracks do become a bit repetitive, such as ‘La Santera’. It’s got the same biting sound and big riffs as before, but it sounds like you’ve heard it within every track so far.

Unless you took Spanish instead of French or German at GCSE, 'Five Years' is a perfect example of why Spanglish doesn't work all the time. Using a blend of two languages has possibly ruined one of the catchiest songs on the album, especially when half the time it's impossible to decipher which language is which. 'Hollywood Quema' showcases how much the Bronx has influenced this band. The clean vocals give way to more guttural screams, and the guitars pick up the pace and become heavier. It's the song fans will call for at gigs, but it's not an easy listening track compared to the rest of the album.

Unfortunately, ‘Tarantula Mata’ doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Despite having punk-rocks biggest and best on the production team, it doesn’t cover up the lack of ingenuity. Don’t get me wrong, This Drama are a new and exciting face on the scene, but they still can’t get away from that generic sound, which reaches from bands like Gallows to the Hives. If they can improve on the lyrics and the originality and still keep the energy and charm, This Drama will have found the perfect punk ‘n’ roll formula.

3/5

'Tarantula Mata' by This Drama is available now on Deep Elm Records.

This Drama on MySpace, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.

Blaise Ruston