A combination of inside jokes, liberal politics, and jangly pop make upstarts Dick Diver stick out from many of their Australian counterparts. Taking their name from an F. Scott Fitzgerald character, they coined the term “dolewave” as a tongue-in-cheek unifier for Australia’s rock resurgence–the joke being that it’s next-to-impossible to unite all the disparate sounds of a country as large as theirs. The band members have also taken to satirizing conservatism in concert, wearing costumes and performing skits to ensure their audience isn’t “too comfy.” But the truth is their music is comfy, mixing R.E.M.’s catchiness with their own low-key sincerity. It’s a combination that earned them a nod from The Guardian for “Best Australian Album” in 2013.
Melbourne, Florida, the band’s third album, will be their first with a wide release in the States. Some of the lo-fi leanings are ironed out, but there’s still something scrappy about Dick Diver’s sound. “Waste The Alphabet” marries the band’s harmonies to an ever-shifting hook that’s over far too quick–but that just leaves more time to listen again and again.
–Art Levy
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