Is the Is Are
Is the Is Are needs considerable space for small changes. DIIV retain layered guitars, quiet singing and rhythms that can keep moving for a long time. Within that recognisable sound, the songs gain weight. The music can feel light and inviting while remaining unsettled beneath the surface. That tension carries a large part of the record and gives its prettiness a firmer purpose.
Out of Mind opens with clear, interlocking guitar parts. The singing stays small, but the song has enough movement to connect immediately. Under the Sun gives the rhythm section a stronger role, showing how effectively the band can develop a simple melodic idea. The early tracks have an appealing ease without sounding entirely carefree. Their smooth surfaces leave room for less comfortable feelings.
Dopamine puts the guitars into more active conversation. Its strength comes from combining their moving lines with the underlying tension. Bent (Roi's Song) follows a more woozy movement, revealing another side of the same sound. DIIV do not change their foundations dramatically, but draw several different moods from them.
Blue Boredom (with Sky Ferreira) brings a clearly different voice forward. Ferreira's dry delivery gives it a more detached character. Healthy Moon varies the sound another way, placing small piano details among the guitars. Differences like these help keep the long record open, providing useful changes without requiring an entirely new style.
They are not always enough. At seventeen tracks, Is the Is Are lasts longer than its ideas consistently justify. Some pieces start to resemble one another, particularly in the middle. A tighter selection would have highlighted its strongest moments more effectively. There is plenty to balance that limitation: the guitar playing remains engaging and the melodies carry enough emotional weight to become more than attractive decoration.
