A lot has happened to Dick Diver, keepers of the jangle-sound flame, since ARK’S UP their stellar first release on Melbourne’s Chapter Music. On their latest 7”, NEW NAME BLUES out on Fruits and Flowers Records, they’ve traded in their slack minimalism for orchestral grandeur in a move out of the ‘Mats’ PLEASED TO MEET ME playbook. The track opens with a saxophone hook and light piano tinkle to deliver a few lines that lament the tides of Australian politics, while retaining an opaque impressionist approach. Singer Al Montfort has proven himself to be a true rock ‘n roll chameleon in the last three years with his output ranging as a guitarist in the bleak post-punk of Total Control to the smirking punk of UV Race and the hushed, soulful folk of Lower Plenty. If you can expect anything from him, it’s that shouldn’t expect one sound. They’ve left the realms of the early Dunedin sound, for some NIXON-era Lambchop vibes that are a perfect match for their familial and homegrown spirit.
Pick it up on wax here.