The freshman album titled Keen eyes with a grim smile for Columbia, MO based band Drona is, well, interesting. I will preface by stating I had the pleasure of watching the trio live a while back when they opened for Dinosaur Jr. at the Truman and thought the band was very well put together and extremely talented, which they are. The three siblings, Arjuna (17), Surya (15) and Pasha (12), have the ability to switch on and off of instruments at ease and the vocal harmonies work well together, for the most part. There are a few exceptions to this, which seem to be mostly recording issues versus the band itself. Like in the song Where I Stand where the instruments are pushed in front of the vocals throughout the entire song, making it hard for anyone to clearly hear what is being sung. However, there are parts where the three’s voices come out, blasting at the listener like in a horror movie attempting to scare the shit out of whoever is there, or at the least making sure that they are awake, just as an example.
Yet, the oddest part of this album comes half way through the listening time when the song “Over Your Head'' comes on. This is a major departure from the rest of the indie rock soaked album. This song takes everything that comes before and after it on the disc and throws it in a grinder and cranks up the speed to full throttle. This hardcore DIY Punk influenced song takes one by complete surprise and feel completely out of touch with the rest of the album, questioning why it was there to begin with? This track would serve much better at the end of the album as a closing song or a hidden track (for those of us who remember those). Any listener would know that this teenaged band is very musically talented, there is no question about that. But with this track, a question does arise…which direction musically does the group want to go? Stay the indie-rock group that they present themselves to be maybe venture off into a harder, crustier side of the music world? Because both could be a possibility.
However, for this first full album, a good effort was made here, with an old 90s college and indie rock feel. They would have paired well with bands like Lifter, Pinching Judy or Fig Dish back in 1995, or even earlier versions of the Canadian band Stars, but need to select one version of how they will sound on an album and stick with it then switch it on the next album, or split the album in half, and take notes from Hank Williams III.
To listen to Keen Eyes with a Grim Smile, please click the link