Listen to Diamond Rings' Special Affections Now on Exclaim.ca

News Oct 19 2010

By Lama AlsafiDiamond Rings' John O'Regan is a glamour rock prince hellbent on removing the disconnect between popular music and lyrical honesty. At just 24, he mixes a look that is the cool retro androgyny of eye shadow matched to his Air Force 1's. However, he's not all look and no musical substance, as he carries whip-smart lyrics and an emotionally telling voice that also happens to be instantly catchy. For some proof, look no further than Diamond Rings' debut full-length Special Affections.

The album is due out on October 26 via Secret City Records, but you can listen to it here, where it will be streaming all week on Exclaim.ca.

It's hard to peg down Diamond Rings to one exact genre, as this album moves fluidly though a wide range of sounds. Spacey slow jams morph into aggressive guitar rock, while shuddering club beats build with soaring synth lines, all the while ensuring O'Regan will become a bigger blip on our musical radar.

"[The songs] are all kind of like little warm blankets for people who will go unnamed," O'Regan recently told Exclaim! in an interview, adding in a statement, "I'd compare my music to the Stars on 54 cover of Gordon Lightfoot's 'If You Could Read My Mind' that they did for the soundtrack to the movie Studio 54."

In support of the album, O'Regan will be taking Diamond Rings on a Canadian-friendly tour, with several dates planned for Ontario and Quebec. For a full list of stops, head here.

Special Affections will be streaming on Exclaim.ca until October 25.

Stay tuned for these future full-album streams on Exclaim.ca:

Black Dub Black Dub October 26 to November 1

GET IT!