Darwin Deez – Double Down (Lucky Number)

On Darwin Deez’s third album he demonstrates that producing a hit is a major skill of his, and he’s done it consistently since his debut, the self-titled Darwin Deez. But Double Down is not merely the bright, poppy treble high guitar riff laden thing it appears to be. Surprisingly, there are muses on famous philosophers and Ridley Scott hidden within it too.

“Double Down refers to my intention to repeat myself, albeit in a Ridley Scott way…” says Darwin Deez in a beard twiddling moment, “That’s my goal: to remake what has always appealed to me and to share that with everyone, but with enough of a twist that it feels completely fresh.”

Noticeably on single ‘Kill Your Attitude’ the production and charming melody shimmer metallically alongside a garage guitar. It is undoubtedly, a fresh, clean sound. But it’s not entirely unique. However, what is noticeable is the command of a melody, established over the course of three albums. ‘The Other Side’ also delivers the kind of sweet, bubbling and bouncy soft pop that can either break the heart of a teenager or make an adult bop in a seat involuntarily.

But it’s not all shiny riffs and shimmering melodies. There are moments when the lyrics can feel too sickly sweet at times; with lines like those in ‘The Missing I Want To Do’. “Cause I wanna miss you” finishes off a paragraph in a solid, simple rhyming couplet. It’s a bit cringeworthy.

That seems to be the only instance. The album is a grower, and ‘Right When it rains’ has balance between straight up rhyming couplets and painting a picture of a hot festival summer – specifically Glastonbury. Most memorable melodies appear on ‘Lover’, ‘Time Machine’ and ‘The Mess She Made’ – which are great pop songs.

Referencing Nietzsche to highlight his desire to get a balance of passion and well-formed aspects in his music – and they are indeed well-balanced – Darwin Deez is a delightfully odd fish for a pop musician. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t delve into a shiny riff or twee chorus hook to draw in a punter.

For this album, as within its predecessors, there are shimmering hits waiting to break loose and this is the journey of a musician well-versed in production and musical instruments. But Darwin Deez sees it another, far more interesting way; “I can’t say for sure why I am who I am, but according to Meher Baba (his parents are avid disciples), it’s down to the culmination of countless lifetimes as a human being, and countless incarnations as an animal, vegetable, stone and gas before that. I guess you could call it a spiritual evolution.”