Diamond Mind are an ambitious pop group out of Edmonton, Canada. Their highly melodic sound is complemented by extraordinary range, which stretches from punchy pop-rock cuts like “Swimsuit Scene” to the orchestral intensity of “Better Alone”, which incorporates medieval-like fluttering with hook-y neo-psychedelia pop. This range allows Diamond Mind to slide into the chamber-pop labeling; artists like Field Music are good reference points as far as their instrumental arsenal goes, but Diamond Mind pack a sound of their own entirely.
Featuring an assortment of promising and very different-sounding tracks, Fake Tape is the newest release from Diamond Mind. To concisely demonstrate the widespread life of “Better Alone”: it begins with bursts of medieval-like fluttering, and then ends with an exotic melody reminiscent of the Far East. Diamond Mind’s songwriting flows with extraordinary creativity, allowing for unconventional sounds like these to flourish in the midst of accessible power-pop and rock. Dramatic strings, lush acoustic arrangements, and a genuinely theatrical vocal performance help lift “Better Alone” to dizzying heights.
“Swimsuit Scene” is the most immediately accessible of the bunch, with a soft organ serving as a stable background over crunchy guitar riffs whose melodic repetition helps drive a very contagious chorus. Anyone else getting ’90s alt-rock vibes from this one? I do, and with no complaints. Opener “Dragon Egg” is also a gem, with a jangly guitar lead that constructs one of the group’s darker, more emotive soundscapes. Ghostly vocal samples contribute to the allure, in this case. Each and every effort on Fake Tape is fully demonstrative of Diamond Mind’s obvious talents and considerable stylistic range. It’s fully recommended to dig in and stream the release below:
LOVE DRAGON EGG!!!!! #INSTANTREPLAY