Track of the Week: Blessed’s “Centre”

Drums. We don’t spend a lot of time talking about them these days. The current style in most genres is to keep them simple, steady, and in many cases, programmed into a computer. They might be placed high in the mix, but they are definitely not the centre of attention.

Blessed bucks that trend on “Centre,” the third track on their new EP, iii. While the Abbotsford band explores more “alternative,” or progressive territory on the EP’s other three songs, “Centre” has them pulling all their post-punk stops, showcasing the four-piece at their best.

No one gets more attention on the track than Jake Holmes, the drummer and engine of the band. If you were paying attention during the previous song, “Structure,” or the band’s 2019 full-length, Salt, you already know this guy has serious chops, but on “Centre,” he steals the show. Just keeping tempo on this multi-time-signature giant of a song would be a feat in and of itself, but Holmes manages to shift from gear to gear perfectly while showing off his drumline-level skills.

All the reign-holding pays off in the last minute, as he and his bandmates pummel your eardrums like the kind of claustrophobic boxing match you look away from because it gets too real. Think Edward Norton’s damage to Jared Leto in Fight Club, but without all the alt-right incel-vibes.