Now, here at Tiny Mix Tapes, we rarely talk about ourselves (instead letting one blog every month-and-a-half kinda sorta mention us), but excuse me while I get all meta to explain why There Should Be More Dancing, the debut from Newcastle squeal-survivors Free Diamonds, is actually worth a listen.
[[[BUSTING DOWN FOURTH WALLZ LIKE THE FOURTH WALLZ ARE LITTLE KIDZ AND I'M A SOULSUCKING JERK WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT KIDZ]]]
///////………….(((((((((smoke clears))))))))))))……..//////
I like the fact that TMT is a very individualistic publication. We don't agree on everything, and it shows. We obviously have some Wolf Paraders and Clap Your Handers around and alt-country love-uhs and Filmore with his constant stream of electronica reviews and S. Kobak with his future-of-music-is-everything-malfunctioning-in-harmony ideology, and that's good. We're a varied group of people, and when you read a TMT review, you really have to take into account just who wrote it ”” more so than other publications, I think. For instance, I would've slit Band of Horses' throats until their blood ran dry from sub popping out of their new neck hole... but Dave Gurney loves it, and that's great. Jay gave his own educated diss to Islands... and without even asking, I know there are TMTers who would've doubled his 2.5. (But, then again, we give 5/5 to everything.)
But my point is, even with a lot of extremes here on the TMT staff, I feel Free Diamonds is something we can all agree is "better than okay." With helium-dizzy, Rapider Than Horsepower vocals and song structures that dare me to say "blends Pavement and the Strokes with tighter results," Free Diamonds have issued a promising debut we might all be able to agree on... to an extent.
I'm a big spazz-punker, a Fat Day, Fat Worm of Error, Arab on Radar, Rapider Than Horsepower sing-along in the car dude, and Free Diamonds take the wily abandon of spazz bounce, add typical spazz vocals, but then replace the typical mess frenzy with catchy pop hooks and movement to create really impressive three-minute packages. To put it another way, spazz usually lets recklessness take lead vocal duties. Free Diamonds lets recklessness shake the tambourine and run into the other band members sometimes.
All of these songs are strong punky dance-spazz numbers, but I'm going to highlight the few songs that spell "instant conversion" to the Free Diamonds agenda. "Lovers Die Young" is the song Arctic Monkeys want to write all the time but never will because they're not smart enough, sincere enough, or strong enough. "International Gathering of Champions" starts the album on a polite enough riff until the band unleashes their most manic vocal performance of the album, spitting and stuttering quite sincerely over the verse until creaking out "It's an international gathering of champions" before yelling "HELP PAUL! HELP DAVE! HELP SCOTT! SAVE THEMSELVES!" over a fury of Pavement-inspired, distorted guitar chaos. And, yes, those are the names of the three guys in Free Diamonds. "Modern Day Pirates," despite the shitty title, is the closest the band gets to normal dance-punk and normal Pavement. And it contains the gem of a lyric that's sure to last the ages: "But if she left me, I'll never party again!"
What Free Diamonds do best is take back that Strokes sound we all thought had been stolen by guys that look like models AND belong in the scene. Free Diamonds are nerdy-lookin' dudes with nerdy-soundin' voices who play the music only the "cool kids" have been allowed to play for a couple of years. And for that reason, I think they're better than okay. And I think you will, too. Even if you're Dave Gurney, S. Kobak or Jay.
1. International Gathering of Champions
2. The List of Everyone
3. Blind Boys
4. Lovers Die Young
5. The Day We Conquered
6. M Is For Missing
7. Modern Day Pirates
8. Land of Giants
9. Cuban Heels, Cuban Deals
10. What Part of Free Diamonds Don't You Understand?
11. Like Giraffes
12. Hearts In Club
13. J.P.L.D.
More about: Free Diamonds
