Over the course of five albums and a number of short-form and demo releases under the
Diners
moniker, Arizona native
Blue Broderick
demonstrated their knack for endearing melodies,
Beatlesque
complex harmonies (think the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night" and closing chord of "Twist and Shout"), lo-fi charm, and an affable bittersweetness.
DOMINO
,
' sixth full-length, retains all of those qualities while dialing up the volume, distortion, and tempos on an exhilarated, rock-injected set devised with producer
Mo Troper
. Although not explicitly reflected in the lyrics, the reinvigoration was inspired by a newfound sense of freedom brought about by
Broderick
's having moved to Los Angeles and come out as transgender. Opener "Working on My Dreams" sets an infectious tone with driving drums, spiky, syncopated guitar riffs, complementary-chord interplay, and classic power pop vibes that are softened by
's unassuming,
Frankie Cosmos
-like alto as they deliver relatable sentiments like "Tangled up and tongue-tied/Been working on my dreams." Not long after, "So What" takes flight with a racing tempo and serpentine guitar lines that fall into rhythmic unity at the chorus. If everyone at the show isn't already out of their seats, they will be by that song's closing riffs-and-drums jam. Nearly all of
is 1970s (and to a lesser degree, '90s) radio-friendly, but tracks like "Someday I'll Go Surfing," and "The Power" particularly evoke acts such as
Badfinger
Big Star
, and progeny
Matthew Sweet
. Much like those luminaries,
brings down the tempo on melancholier songs including "Painted Pictures" and "I Don't Think About You the Way I Used To" without killing the goodwill any more than classics "If I Fell" or "And I Love Her" hurt
A Hard Day's Night
. Clocking in at under 25 minutes, with no song reaching the three-minute mark,
honors both mid-century radio and contemporary indie pop tradition while defying the final words of Tin Pan Alley-affected closer "Wisdom": "I wonder when I'm gonna get it right." ~ Marcy Donelson