Take A Bite Of Life

Drahla “Stimulus for Living”

Luciel Brown’s vocal cadence reminds me a lot of Kim Gordon, particularly in the way her affect can seem both pleading and sarcastic, just enough to make it unclear how much emotional investment she has in what she’s saying because it’s not exactly zero. Brown mostly conveys a suspicious skepticism on “Stimulus for Living,” a propulsive post-punk song that drives along on a chugging bass riff but is spiked by agitated guitar leads, noisy clangs, and nervous clicky rhythmic digressions. Drahla are using a lot of old punk tricks here but they make it feel fresh and urgent – a lot of that is thoughtfulness and expertise, but it’s mostly evidence of a band operating on very good instincts and a connection to some broader ambient anxiety in the world that feels particular to this moment in time.

Buy it from Bandcamp.