Direct Divide: Own Your Ocean
Direct Divide
Own Your Ocean
(self-released)
Razz, Valdemar Huguet and Kevin Proctor have a dramatic thing happening with their band, Direct Divide. The bandâs new EP, Own Your Ocean, mines some heavy and dark territory from Razzâs strong voice and strings and Proctorâs guitar/synths to Huguetâs drumming. â1,000 Years,â the first single, plays to the big beat and Razzâs loud delivery. Itâs has the expected commercial chorus and chanting, high backing vocals. There are better tunes than this though here. âKick Itâ begins with a repeated piano phrase quickly flowing into Razzâs equally repeated violin riffing. The back beat stutters a bit, and the trio plays off the verses into a very strong chorus (with equally as strong vocals from Razz.) Itâs a very effective opener with some great guitar and violin jamming work. (Is Razz a Kansas fan, I wonder?) âRenegadeâ has a plunky synth bass beat cutting through with a jumpy snare, making Razz jump as well. Again we get a strong chorus that is very loud, actually (this trio can rock, no doubt). Proctor sounds like a perfect, heavy rock guitarist here. Itâs a joy when a band can provide this many colors, especially across the span of an EP! âTide Is Risingâ is a delightful, piano-led tune with Razz holding back a bit; we really donât need her upfront wailing on every song and she proves here (at least on the verses) that she can show restraint. I like the full layering of sound and production coming from Direct Divide. You might like it too, so check it out.