Brutalism

The threadbare production which previously stretched ideas to breaking point has been bolstered, adding a warmth to the jangly 626 Bedford Avenue and cocooning the break-up ballad My Japs in plucked acoustics and distant percussion. [Jun 2019, p.111]

Brutalism finds Pierce at his most confident, musically, but his most vulnerable, personally. He's able to explore new sounds without worrying about expectations, and open up about emotions that he's never touched on in his music before.

Brutalism is a gorgeous album that provides both joyous peaks and heartbreaking lows, and the common thread running through the album is an appreciation of the good times and acceptance of the bad times.

Brutalism showcases Pierce's knack for portraying the thrilling and terrifying sides of romance and juxtaposing joyous moments with devastating ones.

The Drums are more stupidly contagious than ever. [May 2019, p.27]

It's an album that certainly stands apart as something different to what's come before, though interestingly, as the record progresses it sounds more and more like Pierce is settling into himself as a musician. The two exceptions are opening track "Pretty Cloud" and "Kiss It Away," both of which feel just somewhat out of place on what is an otherwise cohesive, calming, and beautifully forlorn record.

On the one hand, Brutalism feels less bloated than any of its predecessors, and a number of sharp production touches ensure that some of its tracks are excellent. ... On the other hand, the album is missing some of The Drums’ lo-fi charm.

Pierce’s creative and personal rebirth are evident throughout, but a return to the trappings of earlier records makes for a relatively limp second half. ... Overall, though, The Drums sound closer to what Pierce had envisioned all those years ago.

In other words, it’s strong and considered enough to mean big things to more people than just Pierce. Even the best Drums albums surround a few highlights with filler, though, and Brutalism falls even harder into this pattern.