Album Reviews

When he’s not releasing music under the Self Defense Family moniker, Patrick Kindlon is writing music for Drug Church. And when he’s not doing that, he’s probably on tour with one of those two bands. Following the “Paul Walker” album (which came out not too long before the actor died and caused many to claim Kindlon could look into the future), Drug Church is back with “Swell”, a five-song EP produced by J. Robbins.

On opening track “But Does It Work?” the band dives headfirst into something that is a mix of 90ies punk and alternative rock – sounding somewhat like a more pissed off Samiam - with grungy guitars and Kindlon asking himself a bunch of questions, only to immediately dismiss them with an exhausted ‘nothing works’. They head further down the same path on songs like “Ghost Dad” and “Zero Zero”, and switch it up with hardcore intensity in “Mall SWAT” and “Work-Shy”. One constant however are Kindlon’s dark yet amusing lyrics, which are being delivered with his trademark vocals that linger somewhere between spoken word and shouting and which make him sound like a preacher that’s entirely consumed by his lectures.

Pretty much my only problem with this EP is that it is too short. Other than that, this is one hell of a fine release that is hopefully a precursor of things to come!