With the release of “Brutalism,” The Drums’ solo member Jonny Pierce successfully delivered what any indie-pop fan desires: a satisfying album filled with raw, honest lyrics accompanied by an upbeat and new electronic approach.

The album was released on April 5 and though this is the band’s fifth album, this is the second one solely created by Pierce himself after former member, Jacob Graham, left in 2017.

As the sole creator, however, Pierce had free space to experiment with his sound and it showed.

The first two songs on the album, “Pretty Cloud” and “Body Chemistry,” sound obviously more electronic than the band’s other songs which most fans are used to, such as “Money” and “Book of Revelation.”

Oddly enough, the new sound didn’t sacrifice the same mood that one would be set in while listening to The Drums.

Being compared to The Beach Boys before, Pierce seemed to be reaching for a sound that is unlike anything that is usually expected from The Drums.

However, the original sound could be found in a couple of the album’s new songs, such as “Blip of Joy” and “Kiss It Away.”

Pierce also held nothing back when it came to writing lyrics– “Brutalism” finally shined some light onto aspects of his private life.

In an interview with Noisey in 2017, he blamed his hesitance to comment on his love life on the fact that he and Graham grew up being told that “being gay was not just a sin, but an abomination.”

However, in a recent interview, Pierce expressed his passion for letting his sexuality be shown in his music.

“If I’m not talking about being gay, I feel like I’m not really being an artist,” he stated, “I am an artist and I’m going to make art that reflects who I am.”

No longer hiding, Pierce presents lyrics that are revealing yet vague enough so that almost anyone can relate.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise in the new album was the single, “Nervous.” Slow and dreamy throughout, the song reminds the listener of what it’s like to let go of the one you love, and wishing to hold them “a little tighter and a little longer.”

It almost makes people feel like they’re slow-dancing in a 1950s romance.

The album’s third song, “626 Bedford Avenue,” is already one of the band’s most popular songs out of their entire discography on Spotify.

Pierce truly outdid himself with the release of “Brutalism,” showing much potential for the band’s future as well as his own personal development.