Clad in giant overalls and with blonde hair flowing over his eyes, DIIV mastermind Zachary Cole Smith led the quintet through a flurry of tunes that rocked without getting too loud. Most of the set was comprised of songs from last year's debut album Oshin, filling each song with poppy riffs and walking bass lines, but with a distinctly shoegaze-y flair. Album standouts "Past Lives" and "How Long Have You Known" went over well, but the other guitars occasionally drowned Smith's vocals and the tracks' leading riffs out.
The band also played a few new songs, including set highlight "Dust," which features Smith's vocals in a more prominent role. Whereas Smith's vocals in earlier songs are rarely distinguishable and occasionally whiny, his lyrics in "Dust" hit the listener hard, even before he launches into a scream. Compounded with the band's typical instrumentation, the song is proof that the band appears to be heading into a good direction for the future.
The band also played a few new songs, including set highlight "Dust," which features Smith's vocals in a more prominent role. Whereas Smith's vocals in earlier songs are rarely distinguishable and occasionally whiny, his lyrics in "Dust" hit the listener hard, even before he launches into a scream. Compounded with the band's typical instrumentation, the song is proof that the band appears to be heading into a good direction for the future.