Drew & the Medicinal Pen sound like they belong on the soundtrack to a movie like “Juno.” Drew’s sound is of the stripped-down-sing-a-long kind, witty and honest. The recordings sound somewhat "casual", like it all took place in a musky, old basement, but it’s exactly this rawness that gives the songs both their charm and sincerity – reminiscent of Pinkerton-era Weezer. The opening track from the “dream, dream, fail, repeat” album, provides the first hint of an ongoing theme – catchy and charming melodies set beneath lyrics expressing real and often difficult emotions, unanswerable life questions, and a search for purpose…he accomplishes this expression not only through this juxtaposition of poppy-ness and depth, but also through surrealistic imagery. The accompaniments are sparse and primitive – some whistling, clapping, and keyboard effects – but they are often the most infectious and driving forces of the songs. It’s bare and it’s genuine — Drew & the Medicinal Pen accomplish more with those two adjectives than most others can with their popular opposites (e.g. over-production and bullshit, respectively). – PJD