NME is reporting that three member of the Smiths—Morrissey, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke—attended two separate shows by the US band The Drums while the group was on tour in the UK. This is good news for The Drums, who no doubt will get lots of extra exposure (we finally checked them out after learning this news). But it’s always interesting when veteran artists sign off on young bands who overtly sound like the senior acts. I call it David Byrne-Arcade Fire syndrom, although I’m sure the phenomenon is much older than that.
Of course, The Smiths influenced lots of bands, but The Drums seem to tap into their sound much closer than most prior imitators. The group pretty much nails the sound of Morrissey and Co., along with brit-pop touchstones Ride, near note perfect. Which makes for a very pleasant listen, but I gotta wonder if The Smiths know how much The Drums sound like The Smiths. Did a mate tell Morrissey, “You gotta check out this band, they sound just like The Smiths.”?
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