Drummer

Southpaw; Thu 8
Mercury Lounge; Sat 10

Photograph: Tim Fitzwater

Is Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney a raging egomaniac? You might think so upon first exposure to his new side project—called, of all things, Drummer. Fortunately, the plot thickens from there: Carney handles bass rather than percussion on the band’s sunny, impressively assured debut, Feel Good Together. The moniker, it turns out, stems from the fact that all five members have at one point or another done time behind the kit.

Had truth in advertising really been a priority, the outfit might have dubbed itself Vocalist, Keyboardist or Guitarist. Drummer specializes in boldly melodic guitar pop—imagine a punkier, more stripped-down Flaming Lips—in which the rhythm section merely serves as a driving engine. If there’s a standout player here, it’s lead ax man Jamie Stillman, also a member of great, intermittently active Ohio band the Party of Helicopters. Stillman’s notey leads on Drummer tracks such as “Serious Encounters” will sound instantly familiar to any fan of POH’s eccentric, metal-infused indie rock. Keyboardist Steve Clements and frontman Jon Finley—who, to make matters even more confusing, actually drums for the Party of Helicopters—also put their stamp on Feel Good Together, offering, respectively, buzzy atmosphere and shaggy optimism.

While Drummer bears traces of its pedigree, the band’s most winning trait is the way it reaches out to the noninsider. You don’t have to connect Carney & Co.’s genealogical dots to enjoy their way with a rough-edged, anthemic hook.—Hank Shteamer

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