Music / First LookListen to The Drums' lovelorn new singleThe NYC duo premiere ‘I Can't Pretend’, a swooning centrepiece of their third album EncyclopaediaShareLink copied ✔️August 20, 2014MusicFirst LookTextJazz Monroe Anyone closely attuned to the inner reverberations of The Drums will have witnessed a shaky few years for the New York-based band. After major US TV appearances following 2011’s Portamento, rumours abounded of ongoing tensions, scrapped solo projects and the band’s imminent breakup. But fans can take solace in “I Can’t Pretend,” a mournful highlight from September-bound LP Encyclopaedia that starts like MGMT cruising through a wind tunnel before shooting into starlit histrionics reminiscent of Pixies classic “Where Is My Mind?” Lyrically, it’s predictably double-edged – this from a band whose romantic distance has always sounded less lackadaisical than coolly passive-aggressive – with Jonathan Pierce’s sun-lounger sighs bleeding raw indignation. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREEthel Cain’s Coachella stage was a ‘graveyard of American industry’TOMORA are the dance-pop superduo out to ‘connect unexpected people’ Nike What went down at Nike Toma in AtlantaIf Geese are a psy-op, so is everything elseA deep dive into the fan-led SOPHIE archive projectThe secret history of Black British musicSilvana Estrada: ‘Bad Bunny is my hero, but Latin America is a continent’ The ultimate guide to music festivals in 2026Stop calling Justin Bieber’s Coachella set ‘lazy’Xaviersobased’s online obsessions: NBA 2K, skate videos and NickelodeonQueer nightlife is thriving in Bucharest’s abandoned backroomsThe rise of Rico Ace in 5 tracksEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy