Album Review: Diamond Youth – Nothing Matters
3 min read
Alternative rock band Diamond Youth hail from Baltimore, and they are one of the hottest groups to emerge from Topshelf Records right now. Their ever growing fan base won’t hesitate to agree with that statement: they are making waves and they plan on crashing at each and every shore with their edgy and addictive sound. The boys have been hard and at it this year with the release of their Shake EP back in February, and now their upcoming debut album Nothing Matters, but we’re certain that everything mattered during its making so let’s have a look.
A confident drum beat followed by the strong guitars introduces title track Nothing Matters. The vocals keep up the pace but are surprisingly a little down key too, a winning formula. Thought I Had It Right has a contrasting atmosphere: the arrangement and melody compliment each other like childhood friends, especially as the track intensifies in its chorus. The tracks on the album are obviously related. Spinning shares a similar guitar style to its brothers with the vocals taking it easy up to a certain point and the guitars keeping the song in focus, but the glass ceiling is shattered when Far Away From Earth gives us a more daring beat and in depth insight to what this group are capable of. The instrumental track Succulent is one of the album’s most interestingly captivating contributions.
In The Clouds has an energetic make up: the earthy guitars really set the tone and are carried by the persistent beat and fast pace of its chorus. The boys slow the LP down a little with the guitar savvy Riptide: what is commendable about the track is that just when you start thinking you are in for a more controlled ride, the song explodes into a flurry of guitars, drums and vocals before settling down again for the finale. With a screech and an instrumental array, No Control sets sail but we lose the vocal a little in the mist. Thankfully it takes control of the arrangement and we get to focus on the lyric and tone before losing it again. The Nothing continues the group’s tradition of kicking things off with the bang of the drum, surprisingly not a tiring element, and proves to be yet another edgy number. Deep Love stands out on its own: the vocals are addictive and catchy and the overall sound is the most memorable. To conclude the album, The Difference is indeed just that, with its gritty vocals and airy atmosphere.
Nothing Matters has proven to be a strong and confident debut album for Diamond Youth. It serves as reassurance that the guys have really got it going on in their alternative rock genre and on the music scene in general: they have compiled an LP where every song sounds like it belongs there. No track has been seemingly thrown in for the sake of being included or to fight the struggle of having to list 11 songs on an album. From their progress this year alone, Diamond Youth really stand out in their field, and judging by the work they’ve put out for us so far, it’s safe to say that we can expect great things from these guys in the future.
