Diamond Lake reassert themselves as indie rock’s most prolific band, favoring low-key electric guitar arrangements which allows them to both simmer down and branch out into their own special thing. The musical alchemy they undergo throughout their songs makes the listener feel unique in a certain type of way.
On their single “Light On”, the band direct more amped up energy with sophisticated melodic riffs and hard-hitting drums. The song provokes some healing harmonies as the playing here is naturally more tempered and soothing. It intensely feels like a personal, and painfully awkward exchange, where the vocalist plays the role of an emotional interpreter.
Through the notoriously vague lyrics there is a deeply felt sense of ache and distress. “Light On” pretty much is a build-up to the moment where the singer inevitably lets loose to the point where there’s a discernible dramatic arc.
Each phrase functions on its own ecosystem, undergoing the same cycle of welling up and gushing out to achieve the right balance of musical clarity and emotional outpouring. Diamond Lake outline their grievances in a language that feels almost too accessible but still elusive.
The music is categorically soaring and sometimes pleasant, because the algorithm finds you where you want to be found. One can lean heavily on the trusty loud-quiet-loud dynamic that works hard at keeping the listener engaged. Nonetheless, Diamond Lake make an awe-inspiring convincing case that their rangy melancholic music deserves to be heard out of every open window.
