Fantastic noise.
Currently, Brit four piece Dive Dive are on tour with ex Million Dead front man Frank Turner, in part acting as his backing band as well as being a support band in their own right. This surely is the right attention from the right people, but also something they aren't strangers to, having toured with the likes of Funeral For A Friend and Radiohead in the past, as well as being old favourites of John Peel in their previous guise under name 'Dustball'. However it would really be a shame if they became overshadowed as "The Revenge of the Mechanical Dog", Dive Dive's second full length album deserves to be judged on its own merit quite apart from any hype. The album is a tour de force of powerful, angry, fuzzy punk-rock. But luckily you don't just get the raw energy and some impressive noise; they also supply fantastic, catchy and memorable tunes to get your teeth into; full of melody and emotion but luckily not edging into cheese or over-earnestness.
The album has a sound which can be reminiscent of Idlewild in their early days (if comparisons are necessary at all) – that combination of low-fi, rough (but not scratchy) production bringing out the full sounding fuzz of the guitars, and mixed up with really well written songs that know how to carry a tune. The album opens with the really tuneful blast of 'Let the Blind Lead the Blind' which you can't help but groove to, but it also has enough of an edge to keep you on your toes, it's a mixture which sets the tone for what is to follow. 'The Game' carries on through with awkward stop/ start rhythms, softened by a catchy chorus. This is often the formula for the better part of the album but it never wears thin at any time and still manages to have stand out tracks, like the sing along 'Maybe I'm OK', followed by the equally brilliant riff heavy 'Holding Back the Broken Door', and towards the end, the caustic but uplifting 'Clarence Bodiker'.
"The Revenge..." manages to keep up the melody alongside the heavy riffs and hooks aplenty right till the end. It's a record brimming with passion end energy, alive with emotion but always grounded by the reality of the lyrics, giving it a very British edge; keeping you entertained on one hand while telling you to f**k off with the other. Definitely worth checking out.