EP Review: Drummond – In Sand

By Prog Sphere on July 9, 2019

What do you look for in good music? Perhaps a beat you can move to, or lyrics that inspire you. Maybe you just like some tight vocal talent. What I don’t often hear is that people are drawn to strictly instrumental music these days. It would be accurate to lump me into that category as well. That’s why the new EP by guitarist Drummond from New York made me re-evaluate what kind of a listener I truly am.

“In Sand” is not your typical studio EP. I don’t know how to accurately summarize it in a sentence, but the best I can do is to say that it is an experience that touches on emotion and movement, culture and creativity. There is a lot of experimentation and melding of genres.

One of the best examples of this is the closing title piece, which is over four and a half solid minutes of transitional music that transcends the stereotypical instrumental, and flirts with the realm of concepts carried through art.

For the mellow mood, you can feed your soul with the uplifting “Root,” which is just perfect burst of melody and emotion. “Submerge” has a very worldly, cultural feel to it. It does carry a bit more forwardness and the interweaving of various instrumental supports. Both of these songs are expertly arranged and never lose the appeal that many instrumental pieces are often at risk of.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so quickly swayed to appreciate an artist I’ve not only never listened to, but never heard of before. Drummond is a game changer on that front. With such a wide spectrum of musical decisions so well placed in this collection, this artist proves that he is one of the many musicians of this generation that’s going to change where we are going.

Music is no longer a single genre spectacle, it’s a multifaceted experience, and this is your proof. Welcome to the future.

In Sand is available from Bandcamp here.