DIIV released their fifth studio album “ZIRP!” on Friday, Oct. 30. This is the band’s first album since 2024’s “Frog in Boiling Water.”
“ZIRP” stands for “Zero Interest Rate Policies,” which reflects the anti-capitalist messages this album portrays. The album cover displays a distorted pink and white American flag, with the stripes looking like stock market arrows pointing down.
“Frog in Boiling Water” didn’t stick with me all too well. The singles for their new album created a ton of buzz for me, along with the announcement of A.G. Cook as producer. How has DIIV’s shoegaze, dream-pop sound evolved with Cook’s help? Let’s dive in.
The album opens with “The Fountain,” which was released as the lead single. The song begins with the distorted guitar line that perpetuates the entire record. The guitar tone on this tight track is great. The band sounds locked in, and the vocal melody is sticky. Throw in some punchy synths at the end of the track, and you have a great opening to the album.
“Kid,” a brighter track than the first, backed by a sweet acoustic guitar, is next and was the second single. There’s a trip-hop adjacent beat sitting in the mix that adds to the song, with the distortion picking back up towards the end — solid track.
“Dare Me” has a nice melody and goes back to more atmospheric soundscapes like track one. It’s a pleasant song that has a great bridge. The way the background vocals compliment the lead vocals is phenomenal.
“The Crash” is the first sighting of this record’s head on political themes. Lead singer Zachary Cole Smith implies “The Crash” is coming, referring to the end of capitalism. With lyrics like, “We’re living through the era of American humiliation” and “Throw the billionaires screaming in an alligator pit,” the track is not subtle about its message. Those lyrics are combined with some heavy drums, and a murky guitar tone which make it a highlight.
“Trillions,” a sugary tune that would fit perfectly on the “Wreck It Ralph” soundtrack, is a big highlight. It’s very colorful and bright, with obvious themes of the uselessness of rich people. The song depicts buying a bunch of expensive items for no reason, followed by the post chorus of “’Cause I win / And you lose.” Overall, “Trillions” is my personal favorite track.
“Us Against You” feels like a classic DIIV track; muddy and dark but Smith’s vocals are gentle. A great chorus melody helps boost the song.
“Evangelizer” opens with a groovy guitar lick with some quirky bass in the verses. Smith sounds hungry on this track and sings the most forward line on the album, “Forgot to take my Palantir-Pfizer collab pills.” The space this song creates is great — mix that with a tight guitar line in the back half, and you have another great track.
“Underground” is the first hiccup on the album. It remains laid back the entire time but leaves me wanting more. An odd vocal effect on the chorus leaves me questioning the choice to add it to the track list.
“My Star” comes in strong and heavy, with some chugging guitars and compressed drums. The whole album is very compressed overall. A breezy change occurs in the middle of the track that is like nothing else on the record. That part creates tension and then the song explodes into a great outro.
“Idiot In The Sky” is a lush closer to the album; a charming chorus that contrasts well with the quicker verses. Then the instrumental gets increasingly distorted before transitioning into an airy guitar solo.
“ZIRP!” is a great showing from DIIV. A.G. Cook’s production makes their usual sound much more interesting and fun without removing what makes DIIV, DIIV. The assertive themes of economic inequality give the album more depth and make it better.
Rating: 4/5