Review- Free Diamonds

A review of the album 'There Should Be More Dancing', by Free Diamonds, May 2006, for www.maclifeonline.com (now discontinued):

There is no doubting that the musical brains of the members of Free Diamonds are full of potential. From the first track, each song has its own great identity. You can't get bored with this album, because no song is anything like the previous- but that's where the problems begin.

I can't decide whether I want to get this album on before a night out, get wasted and head-bang to the incessant baseline, or chill-out and have some head-nodding while I'm milling around the house.

That's not to say that the songs aren't quality, though. Chilled songs like Cuban Heels, Cuban Deals never leave your head- there is a Strokes-like quality to the song writing, only told apart from lead singer Dave Smith's unique tones. Then straight away I could be listening to any number of punk bands in the next song What part of Free Diamonds don't you understand? On it's own, each song has the potential to draw a legion of fans, it's just that when it is all put together, which legion is coming?

The more and more I listen to the different songs, the more I like all of them, it's just my mind is in turmoil every time one track ends and another starts. If I owned the album, the 'repeat 1' button would be worn out because I have to choose the song for my mood. The band has covered all the bases.

I'd love to know where the band drew their inspiration. One song I'm thinking Kings of Leon (Lovers Die Young) and then could that be a Ska backing that's poking me and whispering 'Madness, Madness....'?

See, the thing that is bad about this album is the good thing too. Every good band has to have something different; no one wants to be the clone of something that has gone before. Free Diamonds are definitely an entity in their own right. The album typifies the changing moods of everything.

Would I buy it? If you had asked me yesterday I would have said no, but today is another day. It's definitely not a blight on any one's album collection, and I get the feeling that if I'd owned it for months it would be up there with the best in my collection. It's one that has to grow, so if you hear a friend playing a frustrating noise, don't lose heart, because that friend will be recommending the album to you in a week