---Brandon Howard
----Released 4 October 2019 on Captured Tracks
DIIV fits into a strange pocket of indie. A welcome blend of Krautrock, Dream-Pop, Post-Punk and clear inspirations from a plethora of 80-90’s alternative, guitar-based music. The soundscape that DIIV occupies is familiar in its “indie” aesthetic but unique in its ideas and execution. When front man, Zachary Cole Smith returned from a successful stint in rehab, the band came together after 3 years to create what would be their first truly collaborative record. The change in the songwriting process is evident, as Deceiver is a stylistic departure from their previous records, which are all penned by Smith. An unlikely tour with post-metal band Deafhaven saw them shaping and tooling the tracks live during the songwriting process, perhaps an experience that led them to create their heaviest record yet.
With the initial blast of fuzz and swirling guitars, a quick look at the overall sonic palette could leave one with an impression that’s it’s just My Bloody Valentine worship. But while Loveless and similar records used these stylings to create immersive spaces, DIIV reigns it in and tightens it up. What separates this album from DIIV’s earlier outings, as well as its shoegaze influences, is the variety of melodically generous pop vocals; whereas previous releases were Section A/Section B guitar jams, some without lyrics entirely. Beyond the new developments and song structure, the record just sounds great, with some of the lushest and most balanced guitars I’ve heard from a “nu-gaze” album.
“Acheron,” the album’s finale, and its greatest achievement, is a 7-minute guitar epic with fluid sections and infectious hooks that have you wondering how a song that long went by so fast, even after repeated listens. The album’s lead single, “Blakenship” resembles their previous work more so than the other tracks, but it still contains the unhinged fever and tainted dissonance that characterizes the album as a whole.
I attended the Philadelphia stop of their tour at Underground Arts. I found their live performance to be very endearing; there were no gimmicks or even a fancy light show, beyond the stock set up of the venue. It almost felt like I was at a local show by the way they interacted with the crowd and each other. On the other hand, there are times I found I was a bit bored. The droning repetitive nature of DIIV’s sound doesn’t quite conjure the excitement and energy that makes live music special. The compositions themselves are strong, but for fast paced heavy songs, there was far more “standing-still-head-bobbing” than any actual sort of movement from the crowd. Still, the charisma and authenticity of the band persisted and the removal of the “showbiz” veil made for a much more relaxed environment.
DIIV’s pedalboard set up has made for much intrigue among their internet following, and one look at the convoluted set up makes it easy to see why folks are so confused about how they’re achieving their signature spacey tone. They employ a Mastermind switcher MIDI controller, meaning there are sounds and patches they’re getting from a VST (most likely using Ableton Live), so we can only know a part of the mystery. As for the physical stomp boxes, it would make sense if they employed a range of reverb/delay units from Earthquaker Devices but it turns out the only visible EQD units are The Warden (an optical compressor) and The Organizer (an organ/synth simulator).
Even more obsessive tone control is seen through their use of the Chase Bliss Audio Condor, a highly customizable analog EQ pedal. A RAT is visible on the bottom half of the board, a classic distortion pedal among psych-rock bands. They also use The Gray Channel from EarthQuaker Devices, a two channel overdrive unit. The only reverb unit on the board is the Eventide Space Reverb, also employed by the likes Sigur Ros, Dinosaur JR, and Sonic Youth, featuring customized presets from the aforementioned sponsored acts.
This new entry in DIIV’s discography is a true standout from their other work, both stylistically and in their songwriting. The fans may have had to endure a 3 year wait, but the new resolve and ambition in their music leads me to believe they have no intention of slowing down or going backwards. Check out the video for DIIV's track "Skin Game" below.
----Photographs of pedalboards courtesy of the author, Brandon Howard.
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