The Drolls – That Puget Sound LP (Snappy Little Numbers)

The second batch of Snappy Little Number records recently arrived at our headquarters, and what’s a better time to start writing about it than the beginning of the week? There’s plenty of good stuff, but I decided to start with That Puget Sound, a debut full-length by the Seattle, Washington-based trio The Drolls. The first thing that drew my attention was the beautiful cover artwork. The front and back cover consists of a wondrously illustrated sea life, while the inlay cover reveals a Power Puff Girls-inspired illustration of the group performing on stage. The other side of the inlay carries the lyrics and all the necessary pieces of information about the band. But wait until you see that galaxy swirl blue vinyl variant. It’s a piece of beauty that complements the entire visual identity of That Puget Sound.

Soundwise, The Drolls resonate with a cleverly arranged amalgam of complementary music genres housed within twelve exceptional punk rock compositions. Perhaps the band solely relies on the fundamentals of melodic punk rock, but there’s more than meets the eye. Their music showcases the explorations into power pop, indie, and alternative rock, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some other music genres as well. Some readers might think that’s way too many music genres, but The Drolls assembled these combinations pretty damn well, and their tracks burst with sheer quality from scratch to finish. I adore how significant role power pop and indie play in shaping their sound, mainly because those music genres always work well with pop-punk or melodic punk rock. If you’re looking for comparisons with other bands, I had strong Dinosaur Jr, Husker Du, and Superchunk vibes while listening to That Puget Sound. Still, The Drolls somehow uplifted that energetic indie-punk style on an entirely new level.

That Puget Sound is one of those debut full-lengths without any weak moments. Honestly, I have listened to this album over ten times by now, and I cannot find any flaws. The Drolls thoroughly planned each segment, verse, chorus, and maneuver to the point where you can easily say there are no bad tracks here. They unquestionably know how to assemble perfect indie-punk numbers that would resonate with even the pickiest listeners. The band relies upon three to four-chord progressions decorated with complex strumming over the strings and other various licks. A thick layer of themes, melodies, and harmonies go over the top, and all of these sonic delicacies were performed simultaneously, or the band added an extra channel of guitars in the mix. I like how the bass guitar is vividly bearable one each song. Those wisely constructed basslines are a perfect match to the beforementioned chord progressions. Nothing would sound so dynamic without a flawless drumming performance that carries many variations of moderate beats, rhythmic maneuvers, accentuations, and fills. The Drolls possess many other qualities, but I will leave you to discover them once you hear this album. That Puget Sound is available in the Snappy Little Numbers web store, so don’t miss this indie-punk gem. You’re going to love it!