DIIV – ‘Frog in Boiling Water’ album review: a resounding musical and philosophical charter for our times
THE SKINNY: The DIIV behind Frog in Boiling Water is a different entity from the one that produced what many deem their masterpiece in 2019’s Deceiver. While the lineup and familiar aspects of their sound remain, such as the atmospheric guitars and frontman Zachary Cole Smith’s distinctive, hushed delivery, naturally, the members have changed in the span between albums. As a result, the band is more democratic than ever. The art is also more political, as evidenced by the title being based on Daniel Quinn’s philosophical 1996 novel, The Story of B.
Creativity proves that nothing of worth is produced without tribulation, and with DIIV’s fourth album, we get another compelling exhibit. It is a culmination of a band attempting to account for everyone’s individual contexts and tastes, fizzing with the friction this creates. With the band reconciling their existence while the world is on the brink, the end result is something of a paradox, which is fitting for a band that have often found themselves at a confluence of opposites.
With Smith becoming a father during the construction of Frog in Boiling Water, he knew he could not sketch an entirely bleak lyrical palette. Probing the existential precipice humanity dances dangerously on now needed at least a glimmer of hope concerning a way forward. Thus, he attempted to reconcile two contrasting elements not only reflected his personal situation but that of the band itself.
The group’s fourth album is undoubtedly their bleakest at points, given the very real socio-political nature of the lyrics and the inherent heaviness of musical facets, from Jesu-like down-tuned guitars on ‘In Amber’ to the unsettling dystopian groove of ‘Soul-net’. Yet, counterbalancing this is the transcendental spirit that has always been an essential component of DIIV’s engine; this time enhanced by the ray of hope Smith so astutely shines. It lifts us out of the mire on the ground into a cerebral plateau, offering a holistic panorama of life itself.
Whether it be the familiar aspects of their sound evolving or new ones introduced, such as heady, warped tape samples and intoxicating breakbeats, in many ways, Frog in Boiling Water is the closest thing to DIIV we have ever heard. The internal friction remains, but it is necessary for art of such depth. The sparks from this constant push and pull are what they have bottled, and they are more illuminating than ever.
Frog in Boiling Water is exquisite, challenging, and constantly evolving, a fitting description of the band behind it. It’s the soundtrack of our times.
For fans of: Fender Jazzmasters, Jesu, and the lessons of the great Mark Fisher.
A concluding comment from a Shoreditch phoney: “Yeah, D.I.I.V. are one of my favourite new bands. Really chill.”
Frog in Boiling Water track by track:
Release Date: May 24th | Producer: Chris Coady | Label: Fantasy Records
‘In Amber’: The convergence of the picked, de-tuned guitar progression – straight out of Justin K. Broadrick’s Jesu handbook – the languid breakbeat, and the pertinent refrain, “I want to disappear”, make for one hell of an introductory stop. That’s not to mention the screeching bends that burst through the mix near the 1-minute mark and the infinitely heady bridge. It’s a natural continuation of where the band left with Deceiver but with added surprises, such as the discussion of profit through suffering, which taps into the political well the group assembled with ‘Blankenship’. [5/5]
‘Brown Paper Bag’: The lead single from Frog in Boiling Water, comprised of a direct vocal melody, crunching chord progression, and the seamless vocals of both Smith and bassist Colin Caulfield, this track slowly impresses itself upon the listener. The sliding riff that enters the mix after the verse embodies the music’s serene liquidity, which presents a stark counterbalance to the frontman’s explicit lyrics, likening himself to a torn paper bag circling the drain. [4.5/5]
‘Raining On Your Pillow’: Longtime fans of the quartet will be all over the atmospheric, reverb-drenched picking and hypnotic rhythm section that constitute the third stop. It’s another distillation of where the group now find themselves in the sense that it is vintage DIIV but brings something fresh to the fold. This is not in the way that it takes off but in how. The music gradually sheds its skin as the droning electronic elements enter, the picking pattern persists, and the bassline is eventually played lower. A full-bodied experience. [5/5]
‘Frog In Boiling Water’: “Don’t you see / History begins right now with you and me,” is one of the most astute messages Smith provides on Frog in Boiling Water, a positive reminder that we can change the direction we’re heading in. This sentiment is matched with appropriately all-encompassing musical choices that make you keep pressing repeat, as lyrically, the frontman is as full-frontal as he’s ever been, with there much to keep ruminating over in all aspects. [4.5/5]
‘Everyone Out’: Despite the melancholic, rhythmic nature of the acoustic guitar and the reflective reverse delay and central melody, the song is, at heart, a defiant one. Every piece is perfectly assembled, from the vocals of Smith and Caulfield to the textures, and they create a solid ballast for the former to state that his time is now, and by extension, so is ours. “I’m ready for my life / Can’t wait,” he sings at one point, with another verse being, “I’ll bring you all down / Try and stop me now / I’m ready for my rise / Just wait,” a resounding message to keep on trucking in the face of impending doom. [4.5/5]
‘Reflected’: The guitar tones are on point here. A total groove in all areas, the sixth song is certainly one of the most energetic found on the new album, with the guitars of Smith and Andrew Bailey more pronounced than in others. It makes for an effective change of pace after the previous number, with the noisy bends and gravelly distortion a real sonic treat. “Our lives are done / The good guys won / And everybody had fun,” Smith utters at one point, with the sharp “We kill then we die” cropping up later, outlining how excellent of a wordsmith he is and just how pertinent the themes of the record are. [4.5/5]
‘Somber the Drums’: This number demonstrates how far DIIV have come from their early days without losing sight of their core values, as there’s another vintage riff, the driving but simple beat, and creeping energy. Then, the change of pace and rhythm that occurs out of nowhere, which features drummer Ben Newman playing an ice-cool, shuffling breakbeat, adds an entirely different dimension to the band. Here, the other elements create a tantalising cacophony that ends just at the right time, leaving us wanting more but having more impact this way. [5/5]
‘Little Birds’: This track features the most immediate melody found on an album comprised of many potent ones. With the droning guitars and bass creating a heavy undercurrent, Smith’s delivery is forthright once more, which dances between bends on the whammy bar and a piano line which brings to mind flecks of Failure’s Fantastic Planet in that it sounds like it is calling from deep in the gut of space. By this point, the power of Smith’s lyrics isn’t worth discussing further – they’re to be explored individually for full effect. [5/5]
‘Soul-net’: Unsettling, hypnotic and dreamy, in this penultimate offering – the second single from the record – Smith sharply explores the sinister world of online conspiracy theories, and vacuous lives lived out on the internet where the notion of self-critiquing sources that the algorithm throws up is fast dying out. He does this amid a suitably unsettling riff, dancey beat and a futuristic synth line. This is the new DIIV to a tee, and while they have only just returned, in light of this masterwork. [5/5]
‘Fender on the Freeway’: For the final stop, Smith’s voice is more elevated in the mix as he and the band close the book on their clear philosophical thesis. In proper form, the hypnotic music whisks you away from the pain of the present, offering tenderness, sanctuary, and, most importantly, discernible optimism. The slow-building climax of this finale is about as fine as it comes; it just washes over you. [5/5]
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