For The Win
Drewvis
(Do The Dog, 2008)
For The Win, the debut E.P. from Drewvis (A.K.A. Drew Bristow from Second Time Lucky) is somewhat of an enigma of a record. On the one hand it’s well structured, enjoyable acoustic ska music, but on the other it’s a little difficult to get your ears around. In some ways it’s a record with a forked tongue.
Musically this seven tracker is pure, stripped-down ska music. Forget the big sound of Robb Blake’s releases, or the playfully experimental touches of Gecko, this is guitar strings and a little bass. Not a lot more. Simple, yet decent enough. Perfect for swilling away early Sunday mornings.
The second fork on this tongue is the vocal. Without a doubt this is the hurdle that a lot of listeners are going to stumble against. For the most part it’s a little too, for want of so many better words, sickly. There are instances on the record where it’s almost like Drewvis is going for some kind of angelic, quaint stance (see ‘Fear and Loathing (In 7 Dials’, and ‘Happy Medium’). Perhaps it’s personal taste but it just just doesn’t digest all that well.
To further compound matters, the vocals on opener ‘Nearly Departed’ and closer ‘Head Up, Keep Smiling’ seem a little more, well, acoustic ska. A little more palatable. These bookend tracks shine through without a doubt. Perhaps you get used to the vocal as the record progresses. Perhaps they’re a little more natural. Whatever the reason, these two tracks suggest that Drewvis is worth a listen. Perhaps a rawer, live setting would work better.
There’s no doubting Drewvis’ abilities. Lyrically these songs are interesting, and musically it’s exactly what you want from acoustic ska. It’s just that one boundary that halts matters. Definitely a release you need to listen to yourself to get a feel for.
SkaMutiny Rating: 2/5
Al