Die! Die! Die! – SWIM

Album Review by Will Fitzpatrick | 24 Sep 2014
Album title: SWIM
Artist: Die! Die! Die!
Label: Small Town America
Release date: 6 Oct

It’s not all lackadaisical jangles in New Zealand indie rock, y’know. OK, anyone familiar with the proto-slackerisms of the Dunedin Sound might be forgiven for expecting a nation under Lou Reed’s off-kilter groove; ditto those with their ears pointed towards the city’s legendary Flying Nun Records. Still, they might want to bring their earplugs for Die! Die! Die!’s fifth album.

In handily contrarian fashion, this noisy trio are here to showcase bigger weapons in the Kiwi arsenal. Did we mention it just happens to involve Goliathan sheets of eardrum-lacerating distortion? Probably should: the phenomenal tones’n’drones that reverberate throughout Best’s shoegazing squall lend teeth to the solid muscle of garage rockers Out of Mind and Get Hit, with the pace scarcely letting up across SWIM’s 12 thrilling tracks. Andrew Wilson’s voice fights against the melee, hopping effortlessly from caustic snarl to ethereal croon, but there’s no doubt that the guitars are the stars here. A fuzzy, scuzzy delight. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Playing Manchester's Kraak Gallery on 27 Oct http://www.facebook.com/diediedieband