There are metal bands that aren't metal. Hard rock bands that aren't really hard. And now Diamond Nights proves you can be rock 'n' roll without being rock 'n' roll. While Diamond Nights have the rock chops, there is something in their production which feigns to be more indie than rock is supposed to sound.
Indie kids and rock 'n' roll have a very weird relationship. Overall it seems that rock 'n' roll has more attitude than the indie scene can handle. On the other side of the coin, those into rock 'n' roll just plain don't understand what the heck indie as a genre is. Diamond Nights splits the two like a 7-10 split in bowling (which causes frequent bowlers no end of nightmares) and as a result isolates both potential markets.
The trend of indie kids not appreciating rock 'n' roll can be evidenced by looking at the criticisms of rockier albums from artists who are traditionally not too rocky. When Dear Ephesus broke up they gave birth to the band Tenderfoot. They took the emotional indie musings of Dear Ephesus and make it rock hard. Not too many fans cared and that cd never sold as well as it should have. Similarly, "I Am The Portuguese Blues" by Starflyer 59 is a pretty fine rock 'n' roll trip but it suffered from a harsh consumer reaction because it wasn't dreamy and poppy.
The production of "Popsicle" is reminiscent of something you might see on a stoner rock band like older Queens of the Stone Age material or the less stoned (and more emotional) Dear Ephesus. But rock fans wan their rock to really rock and not have the wimpier indie touch to it. Which is a shame because this cd is actually fairly strong. Diamond Nights do those details right that makes a song interesting. The songs are more than barre chords and guitar solos. They have realized that if a song is three minutes long you have to do something a couple of minutes into the song to shake things up.
Things start to slow down on the second half of the cd. Diamond Nights are not as interesting on the ballads (which they thankfully keep to a minimum) as they are when they just rock out. But this is still a very strong album, despite its lack of a market. This is recommended if you liked that Tenderfoot album, "I Am The Portuguese Blues," or any of those current rock sensation bands like The Darkness but also enjoy some indie in your diet, too.
2.5/4
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