Album Review: Dick Diver - Calendar Days

Melbourne indie darlings Dick Diver have seemingly been able to do no wrong of late, and they continue their golden run with assured sophomore long-player, Calendar Days. Their 2011 debut New Start Again showed a new melancholy side to the quartet – mining more country territory than the fuzzed out rock of their early forays – and this vibe is expanded upon over Calendar Days, a restrained and at times wistful album that's rife with melodic hooks, lyrical inventiveness and welcoming tones.

One things that's undeniable is how Dick Diver have grown as a band, as distinct from a group of talented individuals – all four members bring songs to the table, and their offerings complement each other perfectly throughout. The way that the voices of guitarist/vocalist Rupert Edwards and drummer Steph Hughes entwine in the gorgeous title track, or the way that guitarist/vocalist Alastair McKay and Hughes share the laidback narrative to Two Year Lease, speak of a band at the top of their game, while bassist Al Montfort brings some levity to proceedings at the halfway mark with the inscrutable Boys. The sound is perfect throughout (thanks again to Mikey Young) and they show a willingness to experiment with the form, the fade-in to the excellent Lime Green Shirt (and the pedal steel on the same track) a welcome change up. Singles Alice and Water Damage are requisitely strong, as is the acoustic lament Gap Life, while the album closes on a high with the somewhat irreverent Languages Of Love.

Not a massive departure, but still an exceptional set of songs from one of the bands at the vanguard of Australia's thriving indie guitar underground.