DIIV into the depths of Shoegaze

DIIV’s third studio album Deceiver is their dreamiest and heaviest yet. That comes as no surprise, considering it was produced by Sonny Diperri (My Bloody Valentine, NIN and Animal Collective) and frontman Zachary Cole Smith.

Following their acclaimed 2016 album Is The Is Are, Deceiver is the product of the darkness one experiences in the face of addiction. It’s no secret that Smith struggles with addiction, and has been rehabilitated on numerous occasions, but it’s also no secret that DIIV have consistently created some of the greatest new music of their generation.

As a whole, Deceiver just works conceptually. The majority of the songs are droning and drenched in layers of distortion and reverb, as they dive into the deepest depth of the shoegaze sound. Some songs are a nod to their lighter, more playful indie sound as heard on their first album Oshin. What we hear is an evolved DIIV, which is taking us on a journey through their favorite new bag of tricks.

“Horsehead” opens the album with some heavy shoegaze, rolling into a headbang-worthy jam as the climax of the song. “Taker” is another example of stunning, distortion laden shoegaze with the vocals simply gliding over the wall of sound. The latter half of the song softens, incorporating pinging, reverberating guitars to awaken the senses, then intensifies to a grand release at the end. “For the Guilty” could be a new My Bloody Valentine song, incorporating their glide guitar in the instrumental effects.

“Skin Game” puts words to Smith’s struggles with addiction, ” Fighting to get through the door/but I can’t live like this anymore/ they gave us wings to fly/ but then they took away the sky,” he sings in the catchy single. “Blankenship” is another catchy song that’s sure to get the crowd moving at one of their upcoming shows.

Deceiver is s strong follow-up to Is The Is Are, as we see DIIV accessing what it sounds and feels like to live within the darkness of addiction. Catch DIIV on tour this fall, which will kick off this weekend at Desert Daze in Lake Perris, CA!