In the late 2000s and early 2010s, there was a high tide of bittersweet, beach-inspired indie pop bands such as
the Drums
,
Surfer Blood
, and
Beach Fossils
, whose
Zachary Cole Smith
helmed the likeminded
Diiv
(originally known as Dive, but
Cole
changed the project's spelling after learning of the Belgian band of the same name). Like
's debut album
Oshin
was released by
Captured Tracks
and bears all the hallmarks of that label's quintessential sound: jangly guitars, winsome vocals, cavernous reverb, and an overall murky, underwater production aesthetic. However,
differentiates
from the rest of the beach-pop pack with a darker, more eclectic feel that incorporates surf and Krautrock on the undulating epic "Air Conditioning," and the fittingly named, multi-part instrumental "(Druun)," which unites
with a hazy glow. While the change between songs like these and
's previously released pop confections like "Human" and "How Long Have You Known?" is somewhat jarring at first, it gives the band more options, which they put to good use on "Oshin (Subsumed)"'s dark surf balladry and "Doused"'s angular attack, which helps give
's sound some urgency without losing their dreamy undercurrents.
's more experimental tracks feel especially necessary considering that many of the jangly pop songs that weren't released as singles don't have as much impact as proven material like "Sometime"; while tracks such as "Wait" and "Earthboy" are never less than breezily pretty, they tend to wash over listeners' ears all too easily. Even so,
is a pleasant listen, especially for anyone partial to
or the
sound in general. ~ Heather Phares