Formed from the ashes of rustic Texas rock band Slobberbone, the Drams work a combination of countrified Stones and windblown anti-Nashville C&W. Singer-guitarist Brent Best has steered his new quintet into poppier, less guitar-reliant territory. Rootsy power pop and jangly country-folk rule the debut, Jubilee Dive, making it sound reminiscent of R.E.M. or Matthew Sweet. The demise of Slobberbone was a drag — it was a standard-bearer of both traditional and more contemporary country-rock sounds — but Best’s fine songwriting will probably receive a better hearing in these hook-heavy arrangements.
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2006.