When a band delivers lyrics about severed hands and blood transfusions wrapped up in a perky indiepop package, you know it’s no ordinary album.
While London trio The Drink – fronted by Galway native Dearbhla Minogue – may revel in the lyrically macabre, their debut album is far from morbid.
Jangly indie guitar riffs tussle with quirky rhythms best heard on the Caribbean lilt of Playground, the lively Wicklow and the glum, offbeat groove of Junkyard; elsewhere, Minogue's airy trill lends a folky, hymnal quality to Microsleep and At the Weekend.
The music becomes a little one-note when the initial intrigue wears off, but the trio’s unusual combination of melody, vocals and lyrics make for a largely thirst-quenching product.