“Prude” – Drug Church Album Review

Review by Aidan Smith –

On Prude, Albany, NY-based punk band Drug Church effortlessly delivers a concise, well-rounded record that harbors the spirit of their previous work while cleaning up some of the rougher edges. In many ways, Drug Church’s music provides its listeners with a well-warranted reality check. Up until this point, much of their music hinged on anger and resentment; Prude feels like the antithesis of this notion. A warning shot, painting portraits of hurt, upset people and the consequences they face.

Lead singer and one of the most charismatic frontmen in the “hardcore” space, Patrick Kindlon spouts truisms about fear regarding reckless living, the morals of others, and the desire for danger. Take the track “Business Ethics”; A bouncy, fast-paced track about Kindlon’s cousin who set up his own kidnapping for drug money; Disregard your responsibilities, and make the world suffer. “Kidnap yourself / You’re the hostage here / Kidnap yourself / Let’s disappear.” Kindlon’s sardonic proclamations are part of the DNA of any good Drug Church track; If you’re a fan of the band, you know what to expect: Sharp lyricism and piercing riffs carry this album and help it transcend not just to be good but maybe the bands best. It’s tight, and every song on the album is a hit. When Drug Church released the lead single “Myopic” over a year ago, it was clear that they were shifting to a bouncier, catchier sound. To that, I can say that I think this album delivers in spades. Tracks like “The Bitters” are gritty but intricate, showcasing the best of their abilities. Kindlon angrily mutters about an angry, ungrateful person; “Even parasites have the foresight not to kill their hosts.”

Every song on this album fires just as hard as the last from front to back, opening with the energetic but heart wrenching “Mad Care,” it’s a concise and hard-hitting body of work. Much of the subject matter relates to these despondent, unthoughtful characters. “Slide 2 Me,” a personal favorite, and the final single released before the album came out – Tells of a really bad night filled with unwarranted confidence; “Ran in the liquor store / Yelled ‘Get on the –damn floor’ / Man at the counter smiles wide / He’s been waiting his whole life.” The song ends with our main character “Shot / One of those things to avoid at all cost.” He admits to having “made some bad decisions” but doesn’t fail to mention “I went big.” There are so many things to unpack within the three minutes it takes to listen to a Drug Church song, and here, they are at their most accessible. Their sound is essentially patented at this point, and continues to sound cleaner and more refined with each new record they release.