Lemonade : Diver
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Lemonade : Diver

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Alternative-dance outfit Lemonade have returned with an exciting sophomore album bound to set tongues wagging. While Diver falls short of definitive brilliance, the record does resonate as an immensely satisfying second effort from the Californian trio.

They’ve run with an apt title for the release, Diver splashed with nautical imagery from start to finish. A gooey, subterranean ambiance dominates from the outset, too, Infinite Style establishing the band’s intentions. “Ecstatic impressions overwhelm my senses,” declares frontman Callan Clendenin, inadvertently describing Diver’s charm. It’s a gorgeous, washed-out synth-haven, Lemonade’s electronic approach entertaining a mix of contemporary trends and bygone eras.

The intricate architecture of Lemonade’s tracks proves impressive overall, Eye Drops and White Caps, in particular, emerging obtuse, dance-inspired gems. They’re urgent, ambitious and well-crafted. Counter-intuitively, though, the band really hit their stride when they relax. Tender single Neptune demonstrates the prudence of such an approach, its portrait of angst and love on the rocks simplistic, yet utterly potent. Diver accidentally demonstrates the futility of overzealous electronic tinkering in the face of classic pop writing. Lemonade do place emphasis on the latter to some extent (with stunning results) though their tendency to dispose of such a focus does them a great disservice.

Quibbles aside, Diver remains an exciting mixed bag of songs, Lemonade doing well to match the efforts of their electronic-pop contemporaries.

BY NICK MASON

Best Track: Neptune

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In A Word: Enchanting