Hear Me Out: Kevin Drew, "Mexican Aftershow Party"

By Courtesy Exclaim

On the second single from his upcoming sophomore album, “Darlings,” Kevin Drew continues to define himself as a competent solo act; echoes of his past musical endeavors as a part of Broken Social Scene remain, but the frontman is clearly focusing on a newer, more polished aesthetic. “Mexican Aftershow Party” is less baroque pop and more synth-driven smoothness. The effect may be less creative than the genre-bending melting pot of Broken Social Scene, but the meticulously constructed ambience of his solo sound no doubt appeals to a broader audience.

The suave track evokes a surreal electronic environment; a multitude of repetitive, layered synth tracks echo into oblivion over Drew’s equally repetitive lyrics: “Do you want to go the Mexican aftershow party?....How ‘bout we go to the Mexican aftershow party?” However, despite his strong interest in his gathering of choice, his vocals are sterilized by the unfeeling production. The track’s mixing is too steady and mechanical to truly develop a deeply emotional message; although the sound is precisely orchestrated, it lacks the feeling to support Drew’s cyclic lyrics.

Background vocal elements, fuzzy percussion, and heavy synth-horn sounds are just some of the spaceship-turned-nightclub elements that populate the song. It’s certainly a solid solo effort, but after the creativity and passionate musical diversity of Drew’s past, “Mexican Aftershow Party” seems a little too robotic. If this single and its predecessor, “Good Sex”, are any indication, “Darlings” aims to be an album marked by production that is musically precise, but ends up being cold and formulaic.

“Darlings” is out on March 18 via Arts & Crafts.