Diamond Days – ‘The Death Of Us’

Sometimes all you want is an EP. An explosion of energy that’s short enough to listen to once or twice on the commute to work, a great EP can brighten up the dullest moments and transform the banal and ordinary in to an inspiring or interesting experience. Diamond Days, with their second effort ‘The Death Of Us’, have released such a record: snappy, full of depth, and exciting.

As an introduction that builds and builds, adding in deep, electronic bass drums along the way, ‘The Space Between Us’ is a more than adequate opener. Unfortunately, it is a somewhat glorified intro to the ‘The Death Of Us’. The sort of single You Me At Six should have released for their big comeback, rather than their snooze-worthy effort, a lone electric guitar comes to the forefront before an eruption of radio-friendly melodies. Despite the sometimes non-descript vocals, lead singer Alex Fearn has a powerful voice and the moments of crisp clarity and soaring notes surpass the quality of several of his peers.

The sub drop opening sounds similar to the start of ‘Drown’ by Bring Me The Horizon but – rather than exploding into noise and despair – it opens to a sweet, upbeat pop rock song in ‘Not Every Song With A Long Name Was Written By Fall Out Boy’. Rocky enough to keep alternative fans on board but with soaring instrumentation and a melody way catchier than the name of the track, it’ll appeal to an audience spanning far and wide.

‘Kings and Queens’ has the makings of a call to arms. “We’ll be kings and queens, we’ll walk these city streets together” they sing, invoking images of unity. The sense of belonging – ideal for several fans of the genre – continues through the slow-paced, brooding ‘We Are Young’. “We are not afraid and we will never change” – a good strapline for any band. Hopefully that determination translates from lyrics to reality; Diamond Days are a much-needed moment of clarity in a British rock scene that has otherwise fallen by the wayside.

KATHRYN BLACK