Deep Sea Diver - Secrets (2016)

Deep Sea Diver's sophomore LP Secrets brims with catchy hooks and energy, channeling the strength of frontwoman Jessica Dobson's varied stints throughout the music world. Leaps and bounds ahead of their angular debut History Speaks, Secrets is the continuation of the big sound of "One by One" on their 2014 EP Always Waiting. Dobson's experiences playing with Beck, Conor Oberst, Spoon, the Shins, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs have bestowed upon her a chameleon's knack for switching shades of sonics. "Notice Me" opens with restraint before bursting with a gloriously crunchy psych-guitar boom, imagining an alternate universe where Austra's Katie Stelmanis fronts a churning indie rock band. The sweeping "Wide Awake" is the closest Secrets comes to their debut, menacing and urgent like Silversun Pickups. The title track pops with life, showcasing Dobson's soaring vocal talents, while the sludgy "It Takes a Moment" combines a dirty blues groove with distorted atmospherics, like St. Vincent joining the Kills. "See These Eyes" tackles Haim's sunny West Coast effervescence, while some quieter moments allow for respite: the slow burn of "Always Waiting," the synth-creep of "Great Light" -- which finishes on a beautiful piano coda -- and the ethereal album-closer "New Day." Secrets is invigorating and exciting indie rock.