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Winning The Guardian’s worst name of the year 2007 award is a feat itself, but to follow it up with a debut actually worth listening to, was another task altogether. One that DIOY,Y? have done very successfully, as it goes.
Opening with instrumental ‘Battle Royale’ it gets the blood pumping from the off, and you cannot fail to notice a French Justice/Daft Punk influence with its choppy synths and pounding rhythms. Dramatic statement track ‘We Are Rockstars’ is an even greater Justice and Daft Punk affair, but somehow being just enough their own to satisfy. ‘Rockstars’ lends itself to a blazing venue experience, and the opening trio of tracks would make one hell of a live show.
But there is a softer (albeit ranchier) side to ‘You Have No idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into’, as evident on ‘Let’s Make Out’. Honestly this as soft as you’re going to get, so if you want romancing the stone then Bacarach is more your cup of tea. This isn’t nu-rave either, it’s better than that. Think Human League’s darker side.
DIOY,Y? are guaranteed to be compared to The Klaxons and Hadouken!, but their similarities lie more in dance masters The Rapture, and new kids on the block The Whip, than a redundant use of grammar. Debut single ‘Weird Science’ brings back LCD Soundsystem’s unique off-kilter techno beats, which propels this four piece beyond current counterparts. With titles such as ‘Attack Of The 60ft Lesbian Octopus’ and ‘Being Bad Feels pretty Good’ the Reading electro-rockers aren’t going to be taking themselves too seriously any time soon. Thank god. There are enough Pigeon Detectives in this world already.
DIOY,Y? may have the most ridiculous name in music, but it doesn’t really matter when you can produce an album of this quality first time round. Are you offended? Cos we sure aren’t.
