At its core, Diamond Sea is a pop band. Where they differ though is in the fact that they bring a twist to the genre. By adding droning guitars, swirling melodies and an altogether shoegazer vibe to their music, they make shoegazing accessible to the masses, and not something just us indie snobs can appreciate. Additionally, they also tighten the reigns and give each song a touch of catchiness that is found in pop, making it the best of both worlds.
The Montreal quintet has a knack for creating lush and fuzzy songs in the vein of My Bloody Valentine or Ride. On their debut EP, Diamond Sea, they have managed to put their best foot forward. They recorded the five songs at Studios Piccolo, which was named “Studio of the Year” in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. On the opening track, “Jailbreaker Blues,” the group shines in their use of male/female harmonies and by the time “What If…at gate 27″ comes on you have to wonder if they can top it. It starts off with a drumbeat before adding in layers of shimmering guitars and lullaby-esque vocals. “Where All Is Well” is equally as good, and on “Hey Pure-Ant” the band picks the pace up and pushes their pop-infused songwriting to the forefront.
Overall this is a really nice EP from an unsigned band. Could this be a new movement with bands like STAR, not to mention Diamond Sea, popping up out of nowhere? Possibly, and if it is, you can count me in.
