This is indie pop at its best - a "chill" album perfect for a quiet relaxing evening at home. It serves up soothing vocals, laidback beats, guitar riffs. It's a cohesive album, yet few of the tracks are that distinct.
Portamento offer few instantly catchy hooks to their songs, so the album might not interest mainstream listeners - which would be a unfortunate.
I Need A Doctor is memorable though- musically and lyrically. Judging from the song name, yes, it is definitely about heartbreak, but heck, how many albums can you name that don't contain a song like that? The rest of the lyrics make up for the slightly cliched chorus, "You know I love you, but I wanna kill you".
What The Drums do best is show the duality of human nature - how we can be so motivated to go for something we want, yet in the end, let go and just let things happen. "Let it begin" is a phrase repeated in Book of Revelation, which focuses on the vulnerability of pursuing one's goals - in this case, the courtship of another person.
The honest lyrics make up for the album's few shortcomings. It's a shame the average listener might not be compelled to stick with it past the first few tracks.