Diversion - I Didn't Miss You

I have become reluctant to review young bands of late, the last two seemed to split up sometime between me receiving the their releases and publishing the article. I don't take it personally though and hope that Diversion are still a going concern as you read this. Not just because of the apparent curse that follows my reviews about, but because there is a lot of potential to be heard in their latest 4 track.

The first two tracks, Tell the Truth and Cruel Intentions, seem to follow a similar script, riff driven, four-four, old school rock, nothing wrong with that, and whilst neither break new ground conceptually, they do restore your faith in young bands still wanting to rock out rather than pander solely to the fickle whims of fashion. That said there is some great guitar work here, Cruel Intentions in particular containing some Brian Robertson era Thin Lizzy stylings, no small achievement and definitely getting the thumbs up from me.

Despite being the slightly laid back third track maybe included for balance, or possibly because of it, I'll Remember is the one that really catches my attention. It's reminiscent of a slightly de-funked Chilli Peppers and benefits from a tidier, less cluttered musical arrangement and as such comes across as a more focused affair.

The e.p. rounds off with the title track and again the slight deviations from standard rock rules and regulations seem to benefit them no end, slightly choppy guitars and sub disco high-hat work blend nicely with the normal rock fare; thick guitars and warped-edged spiralling solos; to make for an all the more memorable creation.

The first half of the e.p. might suggest that Diversion are happy to be a good kick arse rock band, but it's when they temper this tried and tested format with influences from other genres that they really become their own band.