Diet Cig, the power pop punk twosome from New York State, return to all listening channels on May 1st with their second LP ‘Do You Wonder About Me?’ via Frenchkiss Records. This release sees Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman pushing on with real momentum and confidence from their much praised debut ‘Swear I’m Good At this’ without losing connection with their college town roots.
The sound of the two preview tracks released so far, ‘Thriving’ and ‘Night Terrors’ may be fuller, and the lo-fi ride less bumpy, but you still get Luciano’s chunky power-drive guitar and clear, determined vocals plus Bowman’s pulsating drum work outs. The final taster from the album, ‘Who Are You’ keeps these as the bedrock of an upbeat kitchen bop but with added fab-factor like the handclap and acapella intro. The band say the song, for all its bounce, ‘is for anyone who’s ever received a completely self-serving apology from someone who’s hurt them’. It is that bitter-sweet contrast in the story telling and song writing that gives Diet Cig’s music a real identity.
You get the feeling that the ‘Do You Wonder About Me?’ LP could be one of those ‘feel good hits of the summer’ especially in these crazy times. And as we slide into Autumn Diet Cig will be touring the UK so there will be a chance to perk up with a live dose of their energy, insight and pop-craft.
