Austin-based punk outfit
Drakulas emerged in 2015 as a collaboration between
Riverboat Gambers members Mike Wiebe (vocals) and Rob Marchant (bass), and
Rise Against guitarist Zach Blair. Their debut EP, OWOWOWOWOWOWOW, mixed herky-jerky new wave rhythms and hooky, old-school punk into a pretty catchy cocktail, and their 2016 full-length,
Raw Wave, follows suit but with a thematic twist. A concept album set in the recent past of an unnamed city, the album's title refers to an analog-inspired musical era described by the city's various inhabitants. This vague but pleasantly weird world is brought to life over ten frenetic, hard-charging tracks with a melodicism and oddball attitude that recall
the Dickies' early records. On songs like the madcap "Sunny Tzu" and "Fist Fight at Panchos," the overall impression is of balls-out, almost cartoonish fun, with Blair delivering tuneful, rapid-fire licks and Wiebe jubilantly monkeying around with each of the story's characters. Other tracks like "Neon Town" and "VHS" (there is a "Beta Max" too) are remarkably catchy with a distinctively early-'80s punk feel and memorable shouted choruses. As fun as it is,
Drakulas add just enough edge to
Raw Wave's concept to give it some menace on this otherwise freewheeling affair. The playing is tight and energetic and comes across as somewhat of a throwback in this era of lo-fi slacker irony and uber-trashy garage. Boasting such high profile punk membership, it would be easy to dismiss
Drakulas as another indie supergroup, but they come out the gate with confidence and a fully formed, highly appealing sound. ~ Timothy Monger