New album: Local Drags || Keep Me Glued

Did I order the new Local Drags record before its officIal release date? You bet! Local Drags is fronted by Lanny Durbin who also plays in Starter Jackets and Attic Salt. The songs of Local Drags expertly fuse the pace, hooks and pop sensibilities of powerpop with the energy and straightforwardness of pop punk. The songs have a ’90s alt pop feel as well, helped by the stripped down, crisp and airy production by Luke McNeil (The Copyrights, Starter Jackets, Hospital Job). It’s a combination that I find hard to resist. Admittedly, I needed some time to warm up to Local Drags’ 2019 debut Shit’s Looking Up! but ended up playing it a lot, with Trash Bones as one of my most played songs that year.

Fast forward two years, and Locals Drags’ second album Keep Me Glued immediately clicks. Perhaps it’s from mere exposure: there is a 99,9% chance that you will like this record if you liked the debut, and vice versa. It’s too soon to tell, but right now I would give a slight nod to Keep Me Glued. It’s all hits. Whereas repetition often is a weakness, Durbin has that special talent to turn it into a strength. He also is a master in building up anticipation to ear worm choruses, and those delayed rewards create such a dopamine inducing listening experience that it becomes addictive. Try to resist the one-two punch of Think Straight and the title track…I failed. Keep Me Glued is the kind of record to make you relax, sit back, and bop your head to that snare drum.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Stardumb Records