W: Georgie Bogle @georgiethebogle I:@holdoesphotos
OUT TODAY
DR DR return with a hailstorm of heavy riffs and shadowy, tumultuous themes with their new EP, ‘VULTURES’. In which, Manchester’s own explosive, alt-rock cavalcade delivers a powerful set of tracks that showcase the nuanced talents of the band.
The realisation that I know a lot of people but don’t necessarily have a lot of “Friends” was a big moment in my life. Vultures is a self reflection on this time. In the song I use ‘the vultures’ as a metaphor for my darkest moments. “Where were you when the vultures came around?”
There was a moment in my life where I nearly ended it. The reality is I didn’t actually want to die I was just consumed by crippling mental torment & didn’t know how to handle such pain that had been building for years. It’s thanks to a very select group of people that thankfully I’m still here. They know who they are but I don’t think they will ever know how grateful I am. Although this song isn’t for them, it’s for my “Friends”. Fred Farrell – DR DR
The opening track, VULTURES, hits you in the face from the word ‘go’ with a gloriously weighty blues riff that effortlessly bolsters the impact of Fred Farell’s lyrics, which ponder the nature of ‘fairweather-friends’ who disappear into the ether when times get tough and their proactive support is needed. Farrell’s lyrics earnestly draw from his own struggles with mental health and experiences with so called ‘vultures’ in his circle. In the verse, he interrogates them, asking: “…I’ve been running for days and I can’t keep this up. You killed me once, why kill me twice?…”, a line of questioning which is pushed further in the track’s wonderfully catchy chorus: ‘…Where were you when the walls were falling down and the lights were going out?…’. Very few people make it through life without encountering tough times and difficult people, so this song will certainly resonate with many and, in turn, I’m sure those people will have further trouble trying not to sing along!
Second up is ‘Gimme Love’, in which Farrell’s lyrics pointedly reflect the racing thoughts of a love-laden mind, addicted thoughts of its beloved: “Give me all of your time…Give me all of your lights…I think I’ve found her. My addiction…Give me all of your time”. The track delivers fast-paced, pounding drums that underpin guitar riffs and vocal hooks that are pleasingly reminiscent of late noughties pop-punk/emo anthems, making it difficult not to belt at the top of your lungs whilst reminiscing about loves lost and loves gained.
The penultimate track, ‘Doomscroll (Hellbent Collective)’, is the EP’s heaviest and comes out swinging with a monumentally dirty guitar riff and pounding drum beat, resulting in an intro that immediately demands your attention. As the track progressed listeners will pick up on Farrell’s poignant descriptions of modern-day anxiety: doomscrolling to try and find some kind of distraction whilst you play the inciting moment ‘over and over’ in your head, desperately trying to come up with a solution and, ultimately, becoming tortured by the decisions you made that led you to such a place. The weight and stress of these feelings are emphasised by the storming pace of the song, which never lets up. Listeners are treated to mounds of heavy rock energy from start to finish and so, like myself, I suspect this may be many people’s favourite track.
Closing the VULTURES EP is ‘Ritski’, a perfect punk-rock send off. Nothing in this song is slow paced, much like Queens of the Stone Age’s faster songs, the rhythm guitar, bass and drums chug relentlessly from start to finish whilst the lead guitar takes ‘main stage’, playing a glorious, modulated guitar hook that never gets old. Whilst the instruments pound away, Farell’s vocals describe the deep-seated need for passion and love for the so named ‘Ritski’, albeit with some reluctance, with the verses lean into the yearning need for their passion, whilst the chorus declares “Ceci n’est pas une chanson [This is not a song]…this is a tragedy’’, painting the picture of an imperfect, high-stakes romance. Such lyrical themes are perfect for the song: an exciting but dangerous love affair, for a cavalcade of hard rock energy. As with all of the songs on this EP, expect to be singing this as loud as you can in your car or the shower sometime soon.
To conclude, with their new ‘VULTURES’ EP, DR DR have really gone all out, leaning into different styles of rock for each and every song on the release, all whilst retaining the explosive rock’n’roll energy and pop-sensibilities that the band are known for. Such a feat is not to be sniffed at and displays, both, the band’s talent as well as the bright future they have ahead of them.
