<p><span><span>- Dianas is a Melbourne based dream-pop three-piece, collectively having relocated from Perth following the release of their first album in 2015. Through this transition they’ve retained a sound that, to my ears, is distinctly reminiscent of their coastal origins. Blending elements of dream-pop bands like <strong>Cocteau Twins</strong> with the more aggressive stylings of surf and post-punk bands. It’s a familiar mix of contrasting styles, being popularly explored by contemporaries like <strong>DIIV </strong>and <strong>Warpaint</strong>. More locally, their angular, surfy riffs and call-and-response exchanges are somewhat reminiscent of fellow Melbourne band <strong>Terrible Truths, </strong>also arriving from the west via the seaside city of Adelaide. But where Terrible Truths deliver fast-paced, start and stop exchanges of mostly yells and shouts that veer towards more confrontational ends, Dianas opt for a more restrained and slowly-evolving approach to their songwriting, with more dramatic flourishes and elaborate arrangements.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>It might seem like I’m lingering on a minor biographic detail in prefacing this review, but It’s interesting to reflect on how the geography of seaside cities might inspire equilibrium between dreamlike space and concrete tension in music. With the glaring artificiality and chaos of city life edging so closely on the natural freedom and relative emptiness of the ocean, I don’t think it’s entirely superficial to view Dianas'<strong> </strong>and their contemporaries' style of music as a distinct psychogeographic fixation (or borrowing thereof) and contemporary extension of the rebellious surf rock and explorative pop of pioneering artists like <strong>The Beach Boys </strong>or <strong>Dick Dale. </strong>The eternal youthfulness embodied in their music lingers on how, historically, musicians have nostalgically addressed their lives and the landscape of coastal metropoles through their art.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><em>Baby Baby</em> deals largely with the classic themes of melancholy, relationships and love. On <em>Going Gone,</em> the disintegration of a relationship is described with the tightly unified rhythm and winding guitar riffs that break apart into a divergent slashing and thick, sliding bassline. There’s a great tension between the atmospheric and beautiful vocals and the tense, moody playing. Dianas' playing at times has an artificial looping quality to it, with short, tight phrases repeated over each other, alternatingly in unison and being out of phase. It’s a vaguely hypnotic effect, particularly on <em>Try Hard</em> and it's a noticeable way of building and breaking tension on many of the songs. It’s particularly nice when the bass slides out seemingly on a whim, accompanying the softer vocals while the guitar holds a steady if inhospitable melody.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The first side of the record, as is tradition for a rock record structured with the vinyl record in mind, to be bursting with high energy, lead-guitar heavy songs. While effective, they have little texturally to clearly distinguish them amongst each other. There's relief in the paired back guitar and vocal harmonies that introduce <em>Weather Girl</em>, which slows the tempo and washes out some of the now familiar elements and sets the scene for a contrasting second half.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>I’m biased towards the quieter and more experimental but pop-oriented moments of the record, that highlight the strength of Dianas’ singing and musicality. <em>Jewels </em>is a wonderfully plaintive, piano lead song. Unfolding a bit like a modern take on <strong>Brian Wilson</strong>’s <em>Smile,</em> it allows for a variety of different and more subtle textures to emerge, particularly towards the end with the addition of sleigh bells and the indecipherable words of a conversation. As if to contradict the over-appraisal of this change, it’s followed immediately by <em>Star Emoji. </em>A sublime piece of guitar pop, and the height of the record for me. Fuzzy guitar chords swirl in and out over a momentous rhythm part paired in a way that sounds totally unified and direct from the first verse. It builds tension in the bridge with a tight guitar riff, paying off in the rush of a short, fast-worded chorus. The conciseness of its sections does away with the excesses of a typical rock song and leaves little else to be desired.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The closing track <em>Learning/Unlearning</em> wraps up many of the album's sonic ends in one track. Moving from choral vocals and piano, to building a rock crescendo before dropping back to swell of solo piano, and a final explosive burst of lead guitar. It’s an impressive conclusion, bringing together disparate elements from across the album. It drives home the artful consideration that binds the record together, showing Diana’s have a confidence and strength in exploring a broad musical and personal territory.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Jaden Gallagher.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=836337136/size=large/bgcol=ff…; seamless><a href="http://dianasband.bandcamp.com/album/baby-baby">Baby Baby by Dianas</a></iframe><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vgeekuyubA8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>