“DIIV's Deceiver is a triumph over adversity”
“The Brooklyn shoegazers have expanded both their sound and mission on their third LP”
“bruising and distorted grunge ballads about facing the past”
“Zachary Cole Smith has always cited Nirvana as a key influence: he talks about them in interviews, threw an In Utero tape in a blender in DIIV's very first video, and even looks a little bit like Kurt Cobain (at least when he grows his hair long). All that being said, DIIV have never particularly sounded like Nirvana — until now. The band's third album, Deceiver, incorporates the crunchy palette”
“DIIV’s last album, Is the Is Are, was a dream pop exploration about recovering from addiction. Yet within a year of its 2016 release lead singer Zachary Cole Smith was living in rehab. The Brooklyn band’s new record, Deceiver, is Smith’s attempt to dig deeper into the wounds of drug use and critique its impact on those around him. Reinforcing their rhythm-driven shoegaze with sturdier instrumentat”
“The shoegaze band’s third album is another portrait of addiction and recovery, but this time there’s no suggestion of a victory lap. The lyrics may wallow, but the music soars.”
