Album Review: The Official Suckers

The Official Suckers 

Drink Water

Self Released

Halifax, NS

Review by Josh 'Pinky' Pothier

Drink Water gives me the impression that they’re a young band trying to find their musical and sexual identity through a collection of acoustic and instrumentally minimalist songs. Now, I’m going to be honest and say for the most part, I don’t like it. This has mostly to do with me not liking acoustic music all that much, and is partly due to the singer’s voice has obviously not come into it’s own yet, and it can be grating sometimes. The arrangements are also fairly rudimentary, but it’s simple acoustic music so it’s not really a big deal.

Lets ignore the fact that these songs are recorded sort of rough, are all over the place tonally and tempo wise, and are packed with more whining than my Grandmother in a snowstorm. What you have here is pure, unadulterated honesty, and that’s got to be worth something. Drink Water seem to have a theme of frustration with everything from the local scene to disillusionment and embarrassment with their own generation (something I can get behind). I think the main problem is that they have almost too many lyrics, so the ones that are really biting and powerful don’t come across as strong. The first song, I’m Not Nice comes off as sort of an arrogant and pompous look at tainted love, and while all the lyrics are very “look at me! I ride a bike and read books so I’m better than you!” the last line is actually really interesting and fetching.

“Now our old bedrooms have doubled in rent

& I'm starting to forget climbing each night

Into different loft beds with feet that I miss.”

A line like that goes deeper than itself, while the rest of the lyrics are just surface bullshit. Every song has at least one line like that, something that stands out among the rest as being mature and thoughtful, instead of just arrogant bitching and moaning. Reading books is one thing, but understanding language and how to play with it and use it to your purpose is a whole other kettle of popcorn.

Most of the issues I have with these songs will work themselves out as they get more used to recording (some of the yelled vocals are just ghastly when it comes to levels), and more used to writing songs. At least the songs each have one thing that shows promise, that’s more than I can say for most of the garbage I hear around town.

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You can check out Drink Water online HERE