Lavender Diamond

"We imagine our love as being like waves of sound or light, or like a pure, white cloud that forms slowly and gradually spreads out to envelop the whole world.” Within the liner notes of Lavender Diamond’s Imagine Our Love, the above excerpt is scribbled. It’s written by author, Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh and indicates where this Los Angeles-based band are coming from. With a simple guitar, piano, drum set-up, Lavender Diamond deliver an abundance of joy, love and, above all, peace, which, as overly optimistic and cuddly as it may seem, makes for a delightful listen. Drawing from folk-style campfire songs and ’50s-influenced girl pop, Lavender Diamond fashion a light-hearted, spirited sound held together by piano man Steve Gregoropoulos’s impressive orchestration and, above all, vocalist Becky Stark. Her classically trained, versatile soprano effortlessly shifts between breathy Appalachian lullabies ("Garden Rose”), meditative psych romps ("Like an Arrow”) and brilliantly catchy dance songs ("Open Your Heart.”), making the record as diverse as it is gripping. Whether you buy the flower power sentiments or not, Imagine Our Love rarely, if ever, disappoints and maybe, just maybe, might bring a little peace on Earth.