review | Dives – Wanna Take You There

Label: Siluh Records

Though ‘Wanna Take You There’ is Dives’ second album, it’s the first time that the Viennese three piece have released an album in the UK and it’s about time.

As the opening title track floats in, the cool is practically dripping off them at an alarming rate. In the same vein as Wet Leg, this is simplistic surf garage pop played with subtlety and gorgeously mellow melodies. As a song that reads like a hate letter to egotists, ‘Ego’ is as beautiful and chilled as a sunny day on an empty beach. The vocal melodies go hand in hand to slide around the song and create a sugary sweet layer to each track. With an almost demo-like quality to it, ‘Streets’ is an endearing garage rock gem that captures the free spirit intended with vocalists Tamara Leichtfried and Viktoria Kirner singing “Lets pretend our night has just begun, and we don’t care no more about what is right or wrong.”

Previous single ‘Walking The Dog’ is a power pop highlight with jangling guitar, energetic drums and bass that ties the whole track together in a beautiful bow.

Though their debut album wasn’t released in this country, we should count ourselves lucky that Dives have been able to release ‘Wanna Take You There’ on our fair shores. Tying together pieces of garage, surf, indie and power pop, Dives have created something very special.

Keeping things uncomplicated and relying on the quality of each song to shine through, there is a rawness and simplicity to each track that belies Dives’ talent as songwriters. Each track can sit proudly by itself yet comes together to form a piece of work that sounds too cool to sit in your record collection.