Album Review: You're On The Wrong Drugs by The Lollipops

“I’m over the bah bah bahs,” Iggy Cosky says. And the gritty garage of October’s You’re On The Wrong Drugs demos has his band, The Lollipops, pushing in different directions for sure. Since The Lollipops broke into the Triangle music scene last year, they’ve been known for their melodramatic pop dazzlers with catchy choruses about love.

But on the opening track “Call the Doctor,” Cosky proves that The Lollipops are capable of so much more. “Call the Doctor” is a fuzzed out, frantic two minute rager. There’s a dizzy guitar riff that holds down the track while Cosky screams over it. This is not a dreamy love song. “Some people might think I’m losing it,” Cosky says. But he insists that You’re On The Wrong Drugs shows a natural evolution into something that he says is “not as polite or tame” as the old Lollipops.

This past summer Cosky listened to a lot of Jay Retard and Fela Kuti, with the former influence showing up in the demo’s interludes. The terse interludes are Cosky’s interpretation of what he calls “sex funk.” “I took an Afro-beat approach,” Cosky explains, “The grooves are syncopated. The bass is locked in with the drums.” “There’s a riot going on” is just shy of a minute, closing out the demo, lingering with the listener, leaving them wanting more.

And more is to be expected with the ever prolific Cosky. He’s already in the works on a side project called Julius Ransome, which he self describes as “RnB/Funk that may take a Kraut Rock/Jazz direction.” More Lollipops demos will be released soon as well, one will be folky and the other will be more electronic. But if You’re On The Wrong Drugs is a preview of the new Lollipops, where ever Cosky leads them next will be exciting to see. 

Listen to You're On The Wrong Drugs here.

Listen to new music from Julius Ransome below: