If you enjoy a bit of Contemporary U.S. Rock then this is well worth checking out.

Formed in 2001 in Houston, Texas, the nucleus of Drought is built around brothers Mike and Shannon Mikulas (guitar/vocals, bass respectively.) With recent band additions Bobby Sheehan on drums and Taz on guitar, ‘Untapped’ is the band’s debut release, and has been on the shelves since October 2011.

Musically Drought sit comfortably in the Contemporary American Post-Grunge bracket. I hear elements of early Shinedown and early Nickelback, and maybe a little Soundgarden without being quite as heavy, and when you throw in the commercial edge of the Goo Goo Dolls you have a pretty decent little package. It’s certainly not an instant fix, but with repeated plays it gradually taps into your brain and refuses to let go. Overall it’s a fairly downbeat album, but without being depressing, and occasionally there’s a little light to counteract the shade when the subtle but effective melodies kick in.

‘Pick And Pen’ and ‘Look At Me’ are probably the tracks that delve into the Grunge scene the most, and the former is actually my least favourite track on the album because of this, while the likes of ‘The One’, ‘Born Of Stone’ and ‘Anymore’ are the commercial tracks that aim at the U.S. radio market. ‘Highway 16’ and ‘Last Words’ add just a hint of Country or Americana, and the mid-tempo ‘Wish You Everything’ is the closest thing to a ballad within. There isn’t a great deal of guitar solos on the album, but when they do come they’re tastefully delivered and memorable, particularly on the aforementioned ‘Last Words’, which has a modern-day Lynyrd Skynyrd feel.

It’s a polished album, with a quality sound, produced by Todd Taz Anthony (Bang Tango, Dirty Looks), and mastered by Anthony Focx (Aerosmith, Buckcherry, Ace Frehley). It should be lapped up by the American market, but it’s difficult to see just how well it will be received this side of the Atlantic. However if you enjoy a bit of Contemporary U.S. Rock then this is well worth checking out.

Ant Heeks