by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
If the story of the tortoise and the hare is to be believed then DiCaprio are going to have a big 2017 ahead of them. The young Atlanta post-punk band finished recording their fantastically titled debut album, I Went To The Mall Yesterday And I Got Sick, back in February (before they'd even played a show) and shared the record's first single back in July. Nothing unusual about any of that... except for the fact that the album is slated for a release on February 21st, 2017. DiCaprio are playing it cool, slowly building presence and anticipation with local shows (supporting Mannequin Pussy, Omni, Greys, Sauna Youth, etc) and regional tours. It's been said that a new band is only as good as they are busy, and DiCaprio are staying busy. With just over two months until the release of I Went To The Mall... we're excited to share the record's third single "Dark Water" as the anticipation begins to boil over.
DiCaprio's sound is raw yet stark, dismal but sharp and focused. With a nod to bands like Wire and Television after a valium, they've tapped into minimalist punk's warm center, built on punchy tangled riffs and skin tight rhythms. "Dark Water" is a reflection of that, a slow burner of driving bass and guitars that appear only when its time to build tension. The song plods forward on the strength of it's hypnotic rhythm as Kyle Swick (vocals/guitar) paints a dreary picture of creaky floorboards, over expansion, and eternal gray skies. His voice captures a subtle twang (think Arbor Labor Union) as he casually preaches of the slow permeating darkness. The mood is reinforced by the band's dirge filled punk, lifting itself from the depths just enough to pull you back down again into it's razor sharp backbone of washed out riffs and gloomy low end.
DiCaprio's I Went To The Mall Yesterday And I Got Sick is out February 21, 2017.