If you’re a regular listener to the WOTT Music podcast, you’ve likely heard mention of the latest from Donors multiple times. The track “Help Yourself” was included on a playlist and every subsequent episode since then has mentioned the gripping power of the whole release. Let the record show, no amount of effusive compliments could capture our appreciation for this one.
The runtime of the release clocks in just over 15-minutes and manages to maintain a dark, foreboding and forceful presence for the duration; providing only the briefest of respites during the end of lead track “Game Seven.” From that point onward, the band (comprised of the elusively and singularly named Gabby, Linda, Kathryn and Naomi) puts forth a blast of angular guitars, pounding drums and just the right amount of noise. The lyrics augment the somewhat dystopian setting with a confrontational confidence; often delivered in a way that feels like they’re cutting a path to their destination, roadblocks be damned. It’s entrancing in that “Get In Line or Be Destroyed” kinda way.
In the two years since the bands prior release (2018’s Donors, also self-titled) it’s clear that the bands core intents haven’t changed but they’ve garnered more focus and loads more intensity. From the anthemic “Help Yourself”, to the possessed “Always Sometimes Never”, to the slow burning album closer “Fine Print”, Donors (2020) is a proverbial pounding at the door; if you weren’t paying attention before, you have to be now.
