Punk band Divers recently dropped their Rumbletowne Records debut, a two-song seven-inch that splits the difference between the Gaslight Anthem and Billy Bragg. What listeners get here is gritty, gruff and great.
"Glass Chimes," featuring vocal assistance from RVIVR's Erica Freas, opens up the record with an almost Celtic vibe. This one's a rocker, complete with a big, wholehearted chorus of "If you break on me / I won't break on you" (Because they're glass chimes, you see?). It keeps building and building to a final rousing rendition. This one is "the hit."
It's a shame Freas isn't a permanent member, though, because her presence on "Glass Chimes" is electrifying. I don't mean any disrespect to frontman Harrison Rapp, mind you, but there are a lot of guys right now who sing exactly like him, and they're all in punk bands. Still, both songs are strong enough to stand out from the Orgcore pack.
B-side song "Brothers" is an epic little rocker. Much like "Glass Chimes," the song cranks up the energy about halfway through. It packs another big chorus, but the bridge adds some nice bass ân' atmospheric guitar textures before ripping out a searing guitar solo to close the track. The song hints at a more ambitious songwriting style, one that will hopefully come out once Divers get around to a full-length. For now, though, Divers is a solid enough tease.