The Drums – “There Is Nothing Left” (video)

Matt James: There’s rarely been a week since its release last September that I haven’t reached for the Drums’ Encyclopedia. “It’s just meant to be, comforting and dare I say, a little empowering to the outsider who’s felt a little weird” is how singer Jonny Pierce described it and he’s spot on. Encyclopedia may have left little impression on the charts — Not even UK Top 100? Madness I tell thee! — but for a few select “Weird outsiders” it’s become like a hearty bearhug and a revitalising mug of piping hot tea on a cold, cold day. “There Is Nothing Left” is one of the record’s magnificently melodramatic pop bangers and is now accompanied by a deliciously daft ‘Body Poppin’ Yeti’ versus ‘Crossbow Hobo’ video. Funny ha-ha, funny strange, crushingly sweet AND you can bounce around your bedroom to it whilst feeling a bit glum. “We walk through the fire… just to die.” It’s very Drums. Wonderfully so. [8/10]

Chris Gerard: A deceptively upbeat indie-pop tune about a heart bereft of its ability to feel love for someone, set to a ghoulishly amusing video that seems to be trying very hard to make some kind of big metaphorical statement. Ultimately the song is not compelling enough to engender much curiosity as to why Big Foot is wandering around the video, generally wreaking havoc. “There is Nothing Left” is melodic and slick, but it seems like we’ve heard it all before a thousand times. [5/10]

John Bergstrom: On the latest single from their 2014 album Encyclopedia, it’s like the Drums are trying to cram as many currently-trendy indie techniques as they can into one song. You have the frantic, New Order intro/chorus; the chugging, synthpop verse, the moody descent into psychedelic trip-hop territory at the end. Some dreamy guitars here, some yearning vocals there. The chorus threatens to stand out, but ultimately this is a pastiche of sounds you’ve heard other bands do before, and better. [5/10]