7 years travel fast. 7 years to change lives. 7 years to find yourself. It was in January of 2011 that I saw Drenge at Old Number Seven, that little priest hole in West Street that had the lifespan of a fruit fly (sadly, as it was a fun joint). Drenge left a lasting impression and after two albums, they’ve gone for the succinct route of an EP.

Autonomy, an EP with a homemade tin robot as a companion, no, its image. Far from the scuzzy Blues Rock they peddled on  Drenge and closer to the expansive soundscapes from Undertow, Autonomy goes for the jugular. The brisk pace urges ‘Autonomy’, the opening track, to get the fuck out of the way and allow Drenge to delve into post-punk aerials. Don’t get me wrong, if you want a straight rocker, ‘Autonomy’ is good, but pales to the other three tracks in Autonomy.

‘Fades to black’ and ‘Before the war begin’ are slower grooves for the band. A trip through the foggy notions, the atmosphere is rich, the pace is slow and the post-punk spirit rises from a limestone tomb, haunting our speakers again. ‘Outside’ is a zoetrope of emotions which manages to intertwine Drenge‘s perpetual motion drumming machine with a longing demeanor. It allows Drenge to find their identity, at least for Autonomy, where atmosphere with a strong aftertaste supersedes rock convention. A convention they will keep breaking together, as a trio, as their career continues to move upwards.

Words: Sam J. Valdés López