Album Review: Lemonade - Diver

Lemonade
Diver
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Lemonade's self-titled debut read like a primer on DFA-style dance punk, post punk revivalism, and retro rave EDM stylings. The sheer breadth of genres spanned was at once dizzying and also satisfying, but it begged the question whether the band could truly focus on a distinctive and original sound of their own. The follow up EP Pure Moods found the band relying more on a tropicalia bent that was previously only hinted at on their debut. Second proper full-length Diver further hones and whittles their sound down to something more cohesive but somehow less distinctive. Borrowing more from chillwave, 90s R&B, 2-Step, and UK Garage, Diver focuses less on dance rhythms and more on atmosphere and mood, featuring some of the glossiest production you will hear all year. But what made their debut so fascinating was the sense of exploration and the unknown; never quite knowing where the band was going to go. Here, the reliance on a more focused approach tends to make the less interesting songs stand out like sore thumbs. On the other hand, when the band gets it right, which thankfully is more often than not, the results are magical.

Lead single "Neptune," is awash in dreamy waves of synths, echoing percussion, and vocalist Callan Clendenin's pining vocal, despairing over misunderstandings in a relationship, haunted by what he thinks his lover is doing. The delicate phrase "it's you I see in everything" steeped in emotion:



"Eye Drops" joins inventive Middle-Eastern samples, haunting piano accents, and quirky electronics over a breezy 2-Step/garage beat. "Vivid" is a moody, synth driven mid-tempo track, featuring a breathy, evocative vocal from Clendenin:



And on the closing tracks, Lemonade truly show how their sound benefits from a more targeted approach, and give hints as to where their sound should head. "Big Changes" is a pulsing, beat heavy track, building from a controlled beginning into a furious club banger;



while "Softkiss" could have jumped off an early 90's radio set list, its glossy synths and rushing beats driving the track forward and is the highlight of the record, Clendenin ruminating over a relationship, wondering "when it's cold outside/do you still wear my coat?"



But too often on Diver, the songs are lost in the high buff sheen of keyboards and familiar sounding DMX samples/presets. There is a fine line between referencing a different era of music and aping it outright. Tracks like "Whitecaps" and "Sinead" sound like a long lost tracks from a B-List pop/rock band like Glass Tiger. Opener "Infinite Style" is all style no substance, its glistening keyboard lines and canned drum programming overwhelm a particularly muted vocal.



While "Ice Water" plods under a leaden drum track and minimal keyboard accompaniment.



Overall though, Diver does what it does very well. I have a soft spot for 90s R&B, and for most of the record they were hitting the sweet spot for me. I just got a little frustrated when they focused too much on how the songs should sound and not working on compelling melodies. Based on the stellar tracks on here, I see the direction they should head in, and can only hope they see that as well.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.