The third album from The Drones continues from where their last album left off. There’s no shock change of style, Gala Mill is made up of the same dirty, gritty rock that seems to be the standard for bands coming from Melbourne. The album is another sturdy release from the four-piece; they falter occasionally but keep it together in fine style for the most part.
ATP Recordings
One thing noticeably different with Gala Mill is the length of the songs. Pretty much all the songs are five minutes or greater. The Drones normally stick to more radio friendly times for their songs so this was a surprise. I’m not sure if the longer song is suited to their style, however, as some of the songs on the album seem a little overstretched. The final song, “Sixteen Straws,” a ballad that goes on for close to ten minutes sees lead singer Gareth Liddiard tell a tale of life and death in colonial Australia. The song meanders a little but it is captivating in its quiet elegance, not a phrase I ever expected to use in this review.
With Gala Mill The Drones still haven’t captured the rawness and the power of their live show. It is frustrating listening to their studio output after having experienced them first in the flesh. The fly-on-the-wall interludes of the band talking in the studio (which become terribly annoying) suggest to the uninitiated that this is what The Drones sound like when they just belt out a song but it isn’t. Speakers should be melting when the CD is playing but alas they just get mildly hot. I was hoping that with more success they might have access to a better engineer to mix their music but my hopes have been dashed.
Still, Gala Mill is as good as anything else they’ve released. It’s good honest to God and damned to hell rocking and I like it. Songs like “Jezebel” and “Word from the Executioner to Alexander Pearce” show that they have been honing their songwriting skills. Music and lyrics are well matched on every song. Fiona Kitschen’s angelic backing vocals add an innocent counterfoil to Liddiard’s menacing slur. The only problem is at times they very nearly become a tribute to The Birthday Party or Dirty Three but in the end they always manage to steer clear. I wouldn’t say that The Drones have developed a hugely unique sound but instead I feel they are continuing a tradition of Australian rock that makes up for every time I hear an INXS song. There is the odd song that does step further away from the obvious influences like the aforementioned “Sixteen Straws,” “Are You Leaving for the Country” and “Work for Me.” The latter features Kitschen on lead vocals and it is a far cry from anything else on the CD.
Gala Mill is a solid release with some very strong songs that the band should be proud of but I’m afraid I’m still waiting for The Drones to produce their masterpiece. Each album sees them progressing towards the perfection I hope they achieve. Maybe next time I’ll get my wish.
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