“Wasted”
from the album Low vs Diamond
2008
iTunes
After an extended and productive flirtation with garage rock and punk earlier this decade in indie circles, sweeping, atmospheric rock is back in vogue, and few bands capture the sound as well as Low vs Diamond.
The Los Angeles quintet bears the clear influence of bands like U2 and The Killers on songs that swell into ringing anthems while retaining a certain intimacy on its self-titled full-length debut.
Low vs Diamond makes excellent use of musical contrast, with bright piano chords set against soaring minor-key guitars and a propulsive rhythm on opener “Don’t Forget Sister,” and Lucas Field’s emotive vocals cutting through dizzying bursts of churning guitar on “Heart Attack.”
Field matches his tuneful voice with graceful lyrics perfect for cold, rain-slicked streets. He sings of growing apart from an old friend on “Actions Are Actions,” likens a relationship to the story arc of a film on “Cinema Tonight,” and cuts his losses in love on “Wasted.“
The songs are occasionally brooding, frequently beautiful and consistently compelling, which makes Low vs Diamond an inspired first effort from a promising young band.