DIIV - Is The Is Are [12", 2LP]

In 2012, DIIV debuted with the brilliant album Oshin. It even was my #1 on that year's Finest Vinyl list, leaving bands like Tame Impala, TOY and Ringo Deathstarr behind. Since then, we didn't hear much from them other than main man Zachary Cole Smith (together with his girlfriend Sky Ferreira) being arrested for drug possession, and bass player Devin Ruben Perez posting stupid sexist and racist stuff on 4Chan. But Zachary's finally back in the spotlight for his music. He left rehab and started to work on this second album as remedy instead. As expressed in interviews, IS THE IS ARE is his way to show what he and his band mates can really pull off.

It's become an ambitious lengthy double album, with 17 tracks and more than one hour of music. A very personal and vulnerable one, when you read the lyrics that deal with unrest, inner turmoil, addiction and recovery. Certainly not easy to digest. It also feels like the lyrics are much more important on this new album. Lyrics that can be found in two 12-page art booklets by the way, which make this double vinyl a really nice package. 

Musically it's a varied album as well; there are lush tunes like Under The Sun but also dense and heavy ones, like most of the others. Besides the expected krautrock and shoegaze influences, also The Cure and Sonic Youth are never too far away on this album. Sky Ferreira on Blue Boredom sounds a lot like how Kim Gordon did her thing in SY. Mire (written as Marijuana in the booklet) has lyrics that seem to come straight from Primal Scream's Movin' On Up  (or is it Can's Yoo Doo Right): "I was blind, now i see. You made a believer out of me".

All in all, i think this album is very good. If some more demons will be dealt with along the way, and there won't be accidents like between the first two albums, album number three could be an actual masterpiece. And it doesn't need to be a double or triple album for that.

DIIV will be touring Europe in March and April. Just bought a ticket for the Amsterdam show; can't wait to see them on stage again. The only time i saw them previously was at the Ekko in Utrecht (Le Guess Who 2012).   

Label: Captured Tracks

Cat.nr.: CT-231

Year of release: 2016

SIDE A:

01. Out Of Mind

02. Under The Sun

03. Bent (Roi's Song)

04. Dopamine

SIDE B:

01. Blue Boredom (Sky's Song)

02. Valentine

03. Yr Not Far

04. Take Your Time

SIDE C:

01. Is The Is Are

02. Mire (Grant's Song)

03. Incarnate Devil

04. (Fuck)

05. Healthy Moon

SIDE D:

01. Loose Ends

02. (Napa)

03. Dust

04. Waste Of Breath