Friday, August 24, 2012

Recording: Diamond Rings

Artist: Diamond Rings

Songs: I'm Just Me + Day and Night

Recorded at The Drake Underground, August 23, 2012.

Diamond Rings - I'm Just Me

Diamond Rings - Day and Night

Full review to follow. It's a bit hard to believe it's been nearly three years since I first saw Diamond Rings play. From the very start, it seems like the project has ascended to peak after peak, to the point where the forthcoming sophomore Free Dimensional is positioned to be a big-time phenomenon. And though he's breaking through to the mass pop audience that I don't really know anything about, it's always gladdening to see that Diamond Rings is still just John O from the block, supporting friends at local shows (and probably still hanging out at the Parkdale Library) — and I don't think that's going to change even if he's going to be busy for awhile conquering the pop charts.

At any rate, this small show was a fine introduction to some of the new material, as well as to his new live band. It was a little weird to see him without any Blue Jays gear, but with the team having switched back to the classic logo, maybe that sartorial torch-carrying can be filed under 'mission accomplished'. Meanwhile, the Diamond Rings look in 2012 is a bit sleeker, like Grace Jones in a Nudie suit — and the tunes were pretty sleek themselves. Soon they'll be everywhere, but for one night it was a rush to have them fresh and vivid in front of us.

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