Photo by Yiyi Wan
Los Angeles outfit Drag Talk has released their new album, Drink The Ocean, via MNRK Heavy, blending the hazy atmosphere of shoegaze, the melodic charm of Britpop, and the gritty edges of ’90s alternative rock. The result is a record built on big hooks, dreamy textures, and nostalgic energy that feels familiar without being stuck in the past.
After their 2024 EP Rosy Crown helped the band build a dedicated following and sell out shows on both coasts, Drink The Ocean marks another chapter in Drag Talk's evolution. Rather than leaning entirely into the washed-out guitars and distant vocals often associated with shoegaze, the band puts melody front and center, giving their dream-pop influences a more immediate, accessible edge.
The album's latest single, “Kingdoms,” offers a particularly interesting glimpse into the band's songwriting. Beneath its melodic exterior, it explores relationships, emotional contradictions, and the strange sense of ownership people can develop over others.
“The verses are about a relationship, Mars and Venus, the reconciliation of opposites,” explains Jutty Taylor. “The chorus is more about parasocial entitlement, but it’s all about the thin line between love and hate.”
It's a compelling concept, especially in an era when the boundaries between admiration, obsession, and entitlement seem increasingly blurred. That tension between affection and resentment gives “Kingdoms” more weight than your average dreamy indie-rock single.
Previous releases “Pony Up” and “Would It Kill You” helped introduce the album and established Drag Talk's fondness for melody-driven alternative rock. Together, the singles point to a band that combines the emotional atmosphere of shoegaze with the immediacy of classic indie rock songwriting.
What makes Drink The Ocean an intriguing release is its refusal to treat nostalgia as the entire selling point. There's an obvious affection for '90s sounds, but Drag Talk seem more interested in using those influences as a foundation than simply recreating them. The intersection of Britpop, shoegaze, and dream-pop gives the record its identity, while the emphasis on memorable hooks keeps the music from disappearing into a wall of reverb.
For fans of guitar-driven indie rock who like a little haze around their melodies, Drink The Ocean is worth keeping on your radar. Drag Talk are continuing to carve out their own space in Los Angeles' alternative scene, and their latest release gives listeners another reason to pay attention.
Drag Talk's Drink The Ocean is available now via MNRK Heavy.
Drink The Ocean - Track Listing:
01. Pony Up
02. Kingdoms
03. Breath and the Blood
04. Welcome to the Aeon
05. SY About it
06. Drink the Ocean
07. Mr. High Life
08. Don’t Be Long
09. Would It Kill You
10. Redline
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
November 5 — Houston, TX | The End
November 6 — San Antonio, TX | Paper Tiger
November 7 — Denton, TX | Rubber Gloves
November 8 — Austin, TX | The Chess Club
All dates with Filth Is Eternal and Integra Pink.