New York City quartet The Dig doesn’t work itself into a box. The band, around since 2010’s debut Electric Toys, bring forth a solid effort every time they go into the studio; the band’s unique psych indie sound perfectly overlapping the outside world around you and wrapping you inside a new world with every passing tune.
Their latest effort, Bloodshot Tokyo (out this Friday, February 3rd via Roll Call Records), is no exception — the band has left those Strokes’ comparisons they received in their early days in the dust with this release. The dual vocal stylings of Emile Mosseri and David Baldwin are particularly strong and definitive early on tracks like “Jet Black Hair” and “Astronaut”, and their light psych-pop sound drives home each individual story on each of the album’s 11 tracks.
What really sets this album into motion is how danceable it is. Hints of a sounds that harkens to early MGMT but doesn’t feel dated, it’s the kind of sound that keeps the listener consistently unable to resist bouncing their head around. On no track is this more evident than on “Bleeding Heart (You Are the One)”, that really turns this element of the album up to 11. The solid rhythm section on this tune breaks the tune down and turns it into a rager than can be left alone or paired to make a true dance hit.
The album’s second half compares favorable to its first with its constant theme of love and sound that just never gives up, particularly on tracks like “Simple Love” (listen below) and album closer “Over the Rails”. “Simple Love” takes the dance-ablity of “Bleeding Heart” and slows it down just slightly, one where you can grab your partner and go slow or hop up and really groove, while “Over the Rails” is a perfect album closer, taking all of the album’s elements and producing one final slow explosion to noise to the senses, wrapping it up beautifully.
Fans of The Dig will find the album par for the course for the band; their sound isn’t that radical of a change from previous releases and fans will be able to grasp it quickly. What Bloodshot Tokyo will do is let the band become more accessible to new fans, as the album produces such an open and friendly sound that people can attach themselves to, and learn to grow with the band moving forward. Overall, an extremely solid release from and extremely solid act.
You can catch The Dig in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 18 with a headlining gig at The Echo. The show has an early 5:30 PM start time and tickets are on sale for $9.50.
BUY TICKETS TO SEE THE DIG AT THE ECHO ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18
Review courtesy of Canaan Lamp
Photo courtesy of Sean Macneil
LISTEN TO THE DIG’S BLOODSHOT TOKYO BELOW:
