Elizabeth M. Drummond - ‘Congratulations’
Indie-rock newcomer Elizabeth M. Drummond returns with her second single, ‘Congratulations’, an acidic track saturated with apathy.
Opening with a hazy guitar riff, ‘Congratulations’ almost starts out in slow motion. This reverie is soon cracked as the drums kick in and Drummond begins her lemony vocal. Her husky delivery simmers down to a whispered snarl at points, amplifying the sardonic lyrics. Growling guitars and crashing cymbals propel the song forwards, creating a hypnotically moody atmosphere.
Drummond is a no holds barred lyricist, using writing songs as a form of therapy. In her music she brings her listeners alongside her as she navigates emotions and situations. ‘Congratulations’ is particularly powerful in its finality. There is no beating about the bush, Drummond is done and moving on from situations that don’t serve her. While ‘Congratulations’ very much sits in the calm after the storm, Drummond’s dissipated rage is still palpable through her sarcastic ‘congratulations, you did it’ choruses peppered throughout the track. Underneath her tongue-in-cheek delivery there are echoes of previous frustrations, the song acting as an act of closure as Drummond leaves those issues firmly in the past. Taking back her calm, Drummond asserts “if you think that you’re right, you’re not // I don’t care”.
If ‘Congratulations’ zest isn’t enough to convince you that Elizabeth M. Drummond is one to keep tabs on, her debut release ‘Crisis’ immediately caught the attention of Jack Saunders at BBC Radio 1. Hopefully there will be a lot more to come from her, watch this space.
Words by Ella McLaren
