Encyclopedia
The Drums · 2014
48 min · 12 tracks · indie rock
Bright melodies intertwine with introspective lyrics, creating an evocative landscape of longing and nostalgia.
Top tracks — play these first
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Magic Mountain — The opening track sets the tone for the album with its infectious melody and reflective lyrics about personal growth and change.
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Kiss Me Again — This track encapsulates the album's central themes of love and longing through its catchy chorus and poignant storytelling.
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I Hope Time Doesn’t Change Him — A standout ballad that explores vulnerability and fear of change, it showcases the band's lyrical depth and emotional resonance.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends introspective lyrics with bright melodies, showcasing a mature sound but lacks strong cohesion.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album maintains a consistent mid-tempo pace, while the second half introduces more varied tempos and dynamics.
- Several tracks feature layered vocal harmonies that create a rich texture, particularly in the choruses.
- The lyrics often explore themes of longing and introspection, with a notable shift in tone from upbeat instrumentals to more reflective moments.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- evocative melodies of nostalgia
- introspective moments for reflection
- short tracks for breaks
- bright sounds for sunny days
Maybe skip if you
- prefer lengthy, sprawling albums
- seek heavy, aggressive sounds
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released on September 23, 2014, Encyclopedia is The Drums' third studio album, following their sophomore effort, Portamento. At this point in their career, the band was navigating lineup changes and a shift towards a more mature sound, moving beyond their earlier surf-pop influences into deeper emotional territory.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Beach Fossils· Real Estate· Vampire Weekend
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Magic Mountain 4:05
- 2 I Can’t Pretend 4:49
- 3 I Hope Time Doesn’t Change Him 4:43
- 4 Kiss Me Again 3:45
- 5 Let Me 4:33
- 6 Break My Heart 3:29
- 7 Face of God 4:01
- 8 U.S. National Park 3:11
- 9 Deep in My Heart 3:50
- 10 Bell Laboratories 2:45
- 11 There Is Nothing Left 4:07
- 12 Wild Geese 5:15
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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