The Brooklyn indie quartet's sophomore outing delves deeper into the oft-tumultuous mind of frontman Zachary Cole Smith.
DIIV/ Is The Is Are
Over the past couple of years, there have been more than a handful of indie bands that graced and eventually faded away from the music scene. Bangkok was fortunate enough to welcome some of the key players such as The Drums, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls and Beach Fossils.
The latter was the former stomping ground of Zachary Cole Smith, who has now seamlessly morphed into a guitarist/frontman for DIIV. In 2012, Smith and co released their debut LP Oshin on Brooklyn’s bona fide indie label Captured Tracks and became known for their brand of expansive, reverb-drenched sound.
Listening to that record brings forth the feeling akin to being drowned in the sea of guitar pedals. (Quite apt, considering the name of the band is derived from the word "dive" and the album’s name is actually an edgier way of spelling "ocean".)
Despite a few hurdles (read: Smith’s arrest for drug possession and drummer Colby Hewitt’s departure due to drug addiction in late 2013), DIIV soldiered on, successfully putting together a second studio album whose somewhat quizzical title, Is The Is Are, came from Smith’s favourite line of the 50 poems made up of nonsense words written by one of the visual artists he worked with.
The first taste of the record arrived last year in the form of lead single Dopamine, an earnest missive to Smith’s own substance abuse. “Buried deep in a heroin sleep … Got so high I finally felt like myself,” he croons over meandering guitar riffs.
Although mostly shrouded in newfound doom and gloom, the song does offer moments of optimism by way of guitar licks, which keeps it from being a complete pity party.
As the rest of the album unravels, so do Smith’s bundle of personal issues, most of which reflected through DIIV’s tried-and-trusted weapon of choice: dissonant layered guitar riffs. On one hand, there are the morose melodies of Healthy Moon, Mire and Incarnate Devil. On the other, there’s a love song (Under the Sun) dedicated to Smith’s girlfriend, Sky Ferreira, who also appears as a guest on Blue Boredom.
DIIV may have gone easy on the reverb on Is the Is Are, but, at the same time they have compensated with honesty and an overwhelming sense of sadness, even on the seemingly bright, upbeat tracks. In its three-year absence, the band has come up with a blend of indie-rock, dream-pop and shoegaze that other indie bands could only hope to replicate.
Unlike Oshin, this is certainly not a jangly indie pop album one could casually put on and listen to while, say, tidying up one’s bedroom.
Rather, Is The Is Are is one of those records that demands (and deserves) your undivided attention, for the pains are utterly real and authentic. Most importantly, this is the work of an indie band trying to broaden their subject matter and better their sonic aesthetic — something that’s increasingly hard to come by.
THE PLAYLIST
Basement Tape/ I See the Eyes
If you’re anything like us, you may have missed II, the second full-length record from beloved indie super-group Basement Tape made up of Tat from The Darlings, June and Pok from Stylish Nonsense and Ben from Plastic Section. One of the album’s standouts, I See the Eyes, proves why these guys are no amateurs. It’s a straight-up rock ’n’ roll number punctuated with the sort of lo-fi punk riffs and a bit of alternative rock vibe reminiscent of bands like Ramones and Nirvana. Despite having been released back in 2014, the song is also a highest entry on the Cat Radio chart.
High Highs/ Cascades
Following their 2013 debut record Open Season, Aussie indie trio High Highs are back with their latest cut, Cascades. Here, the lads stick to the sonic aesthetic of their debut, churning out ultra chilled, soft synths coupled with uplifting lyrics. “Don’t you feel the same/In the cold September/You can have the world,” croons frontman Jack Milas. “Don’t you feel the same/In the wild eyes of love/You can have the world.” This is one of those life-affirming, feel-good songs that you’ll want to hear over and over. Cascades is set to appear on the band’s sophomore record, due out next month.
Santigold/ Can’t Get Enough of Myself
Also set for a release in February, Santigold’s third studio record 99¢ is a long-awaited follow-up to 2012’s excellent Master of My Make-Believe. Produced by Patrik Berger (Robyn, Icona Pop), lead single Can’t Get Enough of Myself is a breezy jam, albeit with a dark, slightly heavy message. “All I wanna do is what I do well/Ain’t a gambler but honey I’d put money on myself,” the art-pop singer offers in the bridge before continuing: “All I wanna do is bottle it to sell/’Cuz my brand does vainglorious much better for your health.”
Daughter/ Numbers
“Take the worst situations/Make a worse situation/Follow me home, pretend you/Found somebody to mend you,” goes the sombre opening verse of Numbers, lead single lifted from British indie-folk three-piece Daughter’s second record, Not to Disappear. As with the majority of their previous releases, the song exudes acute melancholia with help from frontwoman Elena Tonra who, in her characteristically hushed tone, repeats “I feel numb/I feel numb in this kingdom.”
Field Music/ Disappointed
There’s a whiff of late ’80s-early ’90s throwback on Disappointed, the second single from UK art-rockers Field Music’s fifth album Commontime. The track finds the Brewis brothers embracing the new wave sound while trying to navigate a relationship over a jaunty, synth-led melody. “Should it be clear to me?/Should I understand it?/Have I been asking too much?/Or not enough?” David Brewis begins, then, as if having an epiphany, gets brutally honest: “If you want this to be more/Then you got to let me know/But if you want me to be right every time/You’re gonna be disappointed.”
