Happy Diving – Electric Soul Unity

Managing to scorch the senses while seducing them into matching submission, the new album from San Francisco born Happy Diving is a swamp of thick fuzz and melodic romancing; neither aspect dominant yet both overwhelming and across twelve sweltering songs, instinctively magnetic.

Formed in 2013, Happy Diving has gone through various member and location changes while breeding a rich reputation for their fiery and sonically blistering live presence. It is a quality and strength of sound now found within Electric Soul Unity, a raw and intrusive proposition which just as potently entices with emotion and evocatively smouldering melodies. The likes of Dinosaur Jr., Drive Like Jehu, and Swervedriver are offered by the press release as an indication to what lies within the album; suggestions easy to endorse though similarly someone like My Bloody Valentine infested by Birdland or Hot Snakes suits too.

It opens up with Bigger World and an incendiary wail of guitar and sonic forcefulness as inviting as it is abrasive. Throbbing bass and repetitious riffs soon join the initial squall of sound; shaping and driving the song in its expanding adventure before the warmer tone of vocals become engaged in the persuasion too. It is a wholly magnetic affair as increasingly infectious as it is bracing and without a moment to contemplate matched by Don’t Be Afraid of Love. Raw sonic trespass and melodic enterprise collude as the track engulfs ears, its rhythmic coaxing equally as catchy and rousing as the band shares all elements with individual clarity while combining every texture masterfully.

Drifting away, the song makes way for lead song Holy Ground, a raw and emotionally inflamed proposal searing the senses as vocals and hooks tempt the imagination and an already keen appetite for the intrusive Happy Diving sound. With anthemic rhythms whipping up further enjoyment, the song steps aside for the album’s punk fuelled title track and in turn the melodic charm of Head Spell. Both tracks hit the spot, the first with its Nirvana-esque seeded essences and its successor through gentle melodies and warm vocals in a calm reflection though its climate is volatile and erupts to fine effect throughout.

Through the fervid sonic enticing of the Pixies toned Fantasy and the sweltering smog of Shed Light, band and release simply increase their hold on a now greedy appetite, each springing a net of melodic contagion as powerful as the sonic wash around them. Their thrilling invasion is emulated again by the poppier and highly stimulating assault of Lost My Way and indeed the swinging causticity of The Call, It Thunders. There are times across the album where a similarity between songs is apparent, the second of the two an example yet throughout it whips out a hook or twist which gives individual character to its presence.

More open diversity emerges in the latter stages of Electric Soul Unity; the calm reflective beauty of Pain Country and its suggestive melodies an irresistible seduction holding court even when the song ignites while Unknown Feeling is a beguiling vocal and melody shaped serenade to drift away with.

Final track River Will Flow ensures the album leaves on a tempest of sonic agitation and temptation, but of course with its own weave of rich melodic and harmonic enticing. All three songs provide a fine end to an album which grows and impresses more with every outing. They say noise annoys, not in this case.

Electric Soul Unity is released August 26^th via Topshelf Records @ http://www.topshelfrecords.com/products/573831-happy-diving-electric-soul-unity and available now @ https://happydiving.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/happydivingca/   https://twitter.com/happydiving

Pete RingMaster 25/08/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Diamond Youth – Nothing Matters

It may be only thirty minutes in length but Nothing Matters, the debut album from US alternative rock band Diamond Youth, is jam packed with boisterously contagious songs to party hard and long to. It is a riot of fun seemingly bred on flavours inspired by the likes of Queens Of the Stone Age, Weezer, and Foo Fighters but with plenty of its own distinct characteristics and flavours to create something individual to Diamond Youth. For personal tastes the release is stronger and most tenacious in its first half but every offering within Nothing Matters is a compelling slice of pop rock equipped with feisty persuasion and a good strain of tenacious mischief.

Diamond Youth hails from Baltimore, emerging around 2010 with a line-up featuring members of Trapped Under Ice, Terror, and Down to Nothing; all sharing a common background of art, design, skateboarding, and of course music. Influences range from band such as Pixies, The Nerves, and unsurprisingly Queens Of The Stone Age, and it is fair to say that the quartet has increasingly lured attention through a host of EPs starting with DMND and Don’t Lose Your Cool in 2011. It is Orange in 2013 and Shake a year later, both as the new album released via Topshelf Records, which provided the spark to greater focus and acclaim enveloping the band, in turn sparking strong anticipation for the band’s debut full-length. It will leave no one disappointed and is destined to not only recruit another wave of eager spotlights and fans whilst simply creating a fun time for all.

Recorded with engineer Dave Warsop, the album starts with its title track, swiftly entrapping ears and appetite with stirring rhythms and spicy hooks encased in vocal and melodic revelry. Quickly, especially as the vocals impressively cast their tempting on proceedings, that QOTSA air is an open breeze bringing even greater catchy bait to the vibrant persuasion. It is the tangy hook though which brings the biggest smile in the emotions, that and the adventurous ideation lining the song from first note to last.

     The excellent opening to Nothing Matters is quickly matched by Thought I Had It Right, another song with thick hooks and entrancing harmonic tempting. Slightly more restrained in energy compared to its predecessor, the song saunters and sways with a rich Muse like sultriness to sound and voice. Every syllable comes coated with a spice of angst whilst melodies like a fine wine just become more seductive and effective on the senses with very passing moment. There is also a volatile edge to the contagion posing as a track, its sonic presence flirting with causticity as it forcibly infests and ignites ears through to the imagination.

Spinning steps up next with an even more reserved nature though melodic and vocal passion in turn create a blistering roar courted by a snarl of a bassline. Fair to say that it might be the least feisty song on the release so far but it is the most tempestuous and fascinating, and subsequently quite irresistible as also the following Far Away from Earth. Rhythms straight away lay down an anthemic potency before quickly finding themselves skirted by a deliciously grizzled bassline and a brewing sonic mist of guitar. The mellow croon of vocals does bring a magnetic tempering but ultimately only seems to inflame the growl and rebellious attitude of the song as it erupts in a cauldron of pop infectiousness and rock ‘n’ roll predation. Crunchy and warmly smouldering simultaneously, it teases the psyche like Josh Homme toying with Muse as it creates yet another instant pinnacle upon the album.

A more summery swagger comes with Succulent next, a surf rock/ garage pop colouring the sweltering climate of the bewitching instrumental. Its heated charm and warm elegance are emulated in next up In the Clouds, a bubbling shimmer of sound and harmonies which takes the listener by the emotions and leads them on a dance of addictive devilry. Six tracks in and five of them are easily single potential, an instrumental having little chance of being chosen let’s be honest.

From Riptide onwards, band and album seems to explore a different avenue with a lessening of the agitated sonic invention and an increasing of more immersive melodies and warm radiance. Tracks as this compelling ballad still have a fire in their belly but such the alchemy of virulence in earlier songs they just miss, and it is just, casting the same persuasive spark. Nevertheless the song has ears engrossed and satisfaction full whilst the static kiss and melodic coaxing of No Control and the post punk like rhythmic lure of The Nothing, ensure only the keenest attention is given. The second of the two especially has thoughts and enjoyment lit before Deep Love explores some dark pop beauty. It has a feel of UK artist Rooster Cole to it, with its sombre ambience encased in an excitable adventure of sound. The track is superb, a match for anything before and without doubt also a song on its own sure to trigger greedy reactions.

The album closes with The Difference, itself a humidly aired release of emotional and musical drama, and a fine end to an increasingly impressing encounter. Diamond Youth has taken the qualities nurtured in previous releases to new thrilling and at times spellbinding heights. Whether you want an out and out romp to party with or something with a melodic embrace to sink into, Nothing Matters delivers one very enjoyable time.

Nothing Matters is available now via Topshelf Records @ http://www.topshelfrecords.com/products/545159-diamond-youth-nothing-matters or https://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-matters

https://www.facebook.com/dmndyouth   http://www.dmndyouth.com/

RingMaster 20/05/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard on Reputation Radio @ http://www.reputationradio.net

 

Nai Harvest – Hairball

pic by Ed Crisp

 

It is telling that Hairball, the new album from UK rockers Nai Harvest, only took one full listen to become a constantly recurring incitement, returning as it wished and dominating thoughts for the following hours. Subsequent plays only reinforced its initial impact and confirmed that the album is one intoxicating feast of fuzz punk.

There is much more to the sound of the Sheffield duo of Ben Thompson and Lew Currie than fuzz though, a healthy mix of psyche and indie rock, with Brit pop spicing, adding to the tantalising sound fuelling the contagious songs within the pair’s second album. It is a flavouring also markedly distinct to that which lit up the band’s previous album and releases. The sonic uproars which coarsely fascinated from within 2013 debut album Whatever and the more mellower fuzzily charmed sounds of the following year’s Hold Open My Head EP, have evolved into magnetic devilments of indie/pop rock riots flavoured further by the sonic mixed spiced mentioned earlier. With ease the new album overshadows the band’s previous impressive releases, presenting a creative and aural coming of age which is nothing less than irresistible.

Recorded with producer Bob Cooper (Sky Ferreira, Citizen) and released via US label Topshelf Records, Hairball instantly has ears and attention beaming with opener Spin. Enticing beats converse with just as alluring guitar enterprise to start the song off, their unity a sunspot of temptation expanded by the sonic colouring and vocal incitement provided by the guitar and voice of Thompson. The constant beats of Currie pulsate within the subsequent vivacious shuffle of the song, the pair breeding a rousing clamour of melodic punkiness and pop catchiness which has as much of a Ramones hue to it as it does a Teenage Fanclub or Strokes whisper.

The excellent start is swiftly surpassed by Sick on My Heart, the track an immediate onslaught of thumping rhythms and melodic jangles roared over by Thompson’s ever beguiling delivery. Feet and emotions are quickly ignited by the energy and virulence of the fuzz fuelled adventure, with its hazy air as incendiary as its pop punk nature is fiery. Its majestic incitement is followed by the slightly more restrained All the Time though the rhythmic provocation from Currie is just as punchy and anthemic. The track has appetite and emotions recruited quite early on but it is the twists into unpredictable and imaginative exploits which really sets it alight and has ears over excited.

     Both the groove lit Drinking Bleach and the nineties hued Melanie keep things irresistibly bubbling, the first exploring a muggier sonic climate with a more reserved energy across its evocative canvas. Its successor is a glorious kiss of melodic tang and fuzzy tempting, vocals and beats aligning to bring a bit of an edge to what is a superb pop song. Its hooks are sharp and inescapable, enterprise spicy and lingering, but mostly the song is unbridled infectiousness which simply enslaves within seconds.

A new recording of previous single Buttercups steps up next, its tempestuous hazy presence once more overwhelming bait to get greedy over whilst next up Ocean of Madness from a great rhythmic beckoning, saunters through surf rock meets Brit pop seduction with what feels like a Manchester bred swagger. Both songs leave a want for more, a need fed by the raucous revelry of Dive In where again addiction forging hooks and psyche permeating grooves cast a creative hex which returns whenever it pleases whether in a hum, swing of the gait, or a badly delivered croon.

     Gimme Gimme finds a simple seventies pop welcome in its infectious dance, though it is soon immersed in thick melodies and anthemic tenacity courtesy of Currie’s swings and the always richly enticing tones of Thompson. The song’s pungent call has to make way for the closing triumph in the album’s title track. Hairball is just sonic seduction, its initial gentle stroll and melodic flames alone an unstoppable tempting whilst the Weezer-esque air adding to the fuzz fest of persuasion simply enriches the distinct character of the encounter. Unpredictability again has a big part in the strength and potency of the song whilst everything you would want in a pop or rock song is on offer, but combined with a unique resourcefulness and creative mischief it all blossoms in to even greater alchemy.

   Hairball is one colossal epidemic of fun and contagion from a band hitting a new thrilling pinnacle. Not much more to add really.

Hairball is out now through Topshelf Records @ https://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hairball

https://twitter.com/naiharvest   https://www.facebook.com/naiharvestband

RingMaster 29/04/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard on Reputation Radio @ http://www.reputationradio.net