Header image by Teel Studios.
One of our favourite new acts to come out of last year was Sydney-via-Wollongong group DROVES, who with a trio of singles last year - Bloodline, Time and Resentment - stepped forward as an exciting, fresh new face to New South Wales' live music world and the many pockets of genre-bending brilliance captured within it. DROVES, as a group, represent this genre-bending side pretty well, with their sound seizing the nostalgia of old-school new wave and mixing it with the energy of live rock/indie, pumping it full of punk mannerisms that swirl underneath.
Cannibals, the group's latest single, fleshes out the latter side of their music more-so than anything they've done in the past thus far. It sees the band move out of this subtle new-wave sound for something a little more rich with liveliness and energy, throwing things into a more mid-00s bloghouse-esque direction as they mould together the worlds of crunchy live rock and driving, quick-firing synth; their 80s-esque new-wave melodies still existent, but largely hidden underneath an onslaught of guitar and vocal that really make themselves known.
It's a really exciting step for the band that takes them outside of their comfort zone; Cannibals stopping with an energy and anger that feels like the band demanding attention - something they definitely deserve, after an incredible 2019 just-gone which saw the group go from strength to strength with every release. At the same time, however, this energy may come from the single's underlaying meaning - a defiant call-to-arms that aims to make a statement about socio-politics and the anger that underlays the current socio-political climate.
"Cannibals is simply an outlet of repressed rage, disgust and anger towards the system and the widespread unspoken issues that have arisen as a result," says the band's Taylor McAuliffe on the track.
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Obviously, there's a lot to be angry about in 2020, and Cannibals really captures that without being obvious in doing so - a difficult feat to achieve, especially without a sense of corniness.
There's plenty more to come from DROVES, but in the meantime, dive into Cannibals below before it officially arrives this Friday, March 20.
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