DIIV – Oshin

DIIV – Oshin (Captured Tracks)

Formerly known as Dive, this Brooklyn-based spin-off of Beach Fossils got its start as Zachary Cole Smith’s solo project, though it’s now evolved into a quartet. Smith conceived the project in a Bushwick painter’s studio with no AC and no running water. While the sweltering surroundings must have made him long for a bit of refreshment, the name Dive was actually inspired by the Nirvana song. No surprise, then, that classic grunge influences are sprinkled throughout <I>Oshin<$>, though Krautrock and psychedelia also inform DIIV’s decidedly retro sound. The reverb that drenches everything lends their songs an appealingly dreamy quality, but it’s Smith’s engrossing guitar melodies that will make you jump right in and explore DIIV’s depths.