Local Review: Drusky – In Transit

Drusky
In Transit

Soberman Records
Street: 01.07.2022
Drusky = The Pale White + Hand Habits

Drusky is a portmanteau of the words “drunk” and “husky,” which is exactly the kind of band I want to listen to, regardless of the music they make. I only guessed this because their Bandcamp image is of a husky with a liquor bottle, but it was later confirmed as I rummaged their mostly empty Spotify bio. Drusky is local and appears to be one of the many artists to spend time on Velour’s stage in downtown Provo. Utah is full of musical talent, and while Velour is known to produce some of the most talented artists, it’s only a select few that seem to make anything of it. I’m always curious where a majority of a band’s listenership hails from, and I think it means something that the top Drusky listeners all come from outside of Utah. It’s difficult to tell when a band may become something larger than Utah, but it feels like Drusky have a lot to offer to alternative and indie rock.

With Mia Hicken on guitar and vocals, Dallin Haslam on bass, vocals and guitar and Stacie Fleischer playing the drums, Drusky’s sound is percussion-laden and tastes classically alternative, with vocals that are sweet and rough. Their latest EP, In Transit, is four tracks long: “Garden Slugs,” “Holy Ghosting,” “Bodies” and “Blue.” Each varies in execution, but there is familiarity throughout as Drusky stabilize their moody and sentimental sound. “Bodies” stands distinct—it features Image Dragoons, and the vocal synthesis feels so right as the track croons “No room for three / No room for me” before moving into an immersive guitar solo. 

Instrumentals occupy much space in this EP. “Blue” builds momentum in the last two minutes of its four-and-a-half-minute runtime, and the slow add-in of guitar and synth and percussion, then eventually vocals singing “Won’t even notice when I’m gone,” is notable and something that I hope becomes a Drusky trademark. Another item worth mentioning is the perfectly timed vocal/sound rests and screeches in “Garden Slugs.” It’s something not at all unique to this genre, but Drusky perform it well enough to make it their own. Listening to their EP made me want to revisit a few soft-alternative albums I hadn’t for a long time. 

“Holy Ghosting” seems to be the most popular track on the EP, having been previously released as a single in 2021. It continues the themes found throughout the EP relating to relationship angst and bitterness. The vocals and lyrics are both playful and resentful, with the instrumentals following suit. It’s a bit faster paced than the others and maintains a more optimistic energy that I feel the EP was becoming in need of. 

Similar to the ascension of local act The Backseat Lovers, I feel as though Drusky won’t belong to Utah for much longer, so we should be sure to listen and appreciate them while we can. Check out and support their EP and other tracks on their Bandcamp and the main streaming services. –Jamie Christensen