Secrets By Deep Sea Diver

Deep Sea Diver | Secrets | Rating : 10/11 |

Release Date: February 19, 2016

Seattle band Deep Sea Diver’s sophomore album, Secrets, is perhaps one of the most dynamic and musically intelligent records of the year. Like a good secret, the album will not only shock upon first hearing, but it will leave listeners contemplating everything they once knew about what an indie rock band can sound like, as a whole.

Comprised of Jessica Dobson (vox), Peter Mansen (drums), Garrett Gue (bass) and Elliot Jackson guitar/synth), Secrets spotlights singer-songwriter-powerhouse Dobson’s soaring vocals and musicianship as she takes listeners through a powerful journey filled with heart-wrenching lyrics and immediately memorable melodies. The sonic atmospheres are carefully crafted and are – at times – delicate and vulnerable, particularly in “Always Waiting” and “Great Light.” The two songs are stripped down and intimate – a big risk for any indie band to take – and Deep Sea Diver conquers this risk. The songs are haunting and mesmerizing, and at times, it feels as if these songs represent the band’s name: it feels as if you are floating underwater, staring at the rushing currents above, reflecting on life’s mysteries.

Then you have songs like Deep Sea Diver’s “It Takes A Moment” that create a new sound in the realm of indie rock, entirely. Layered with crunchy, distorted electric guitars and – spoiler alert – orchestration creating a wholly unique soundscape as it draws listeners in and throws them off with unexpected chords heard in flanging synths and captivating string tremolos.

Then to top it all off, Secrets also features heavy, driving indie tracks like “See These Eyes” and “Wide Awake,” in which diverse, ambient percussive elements – rhythmic tambourines, sporadic cowbells, and thrilling synth pads – allow listeners to dance their troubles away.

Displaying a vast range of musicianship, artistry, and genuine human emotion, chances are that Secrets will captivate and haunt listeners for years to come. Secrets is truly “one of those albums” that deserves multiple listens. Why? Because it will only grow more dense and significant upon each listen, something only a band with master songwriters can achieve.