Review by Dom Vigil
Most of the time, it is difficult to truly understand a band on a small, six song EP, but New Diplomat are breaking stereotypes while showcasing wonderful diversity and a strong, unique sound on their new EP, Replaced. The groovy, smooth sounds on Replaced make these six songs very easy to listen to, but without blending into one another or sounding boring by any means. Opening track, “End Of An Era,” for instance, kicks things off with a very upbeat, retro feeling. Vocally, “End Of An Era” is absolutely stunning, and with a strong drum beat, echoey guitar and heavy bass, the song kicks things off perfectly before leading into the very different sounding, “Stay Up.”
The best part? These diverse songs flow easily into one another. While “Stay Up” is significantly more synth-heavy than the opening track, the falsetto vocals create a seamless connection. “Stay Up” doesn’t necessarily hit quite as hard as “End Of An Era,” but where it lacks in deep drums and heavy bass, it makes up for in miles with catchy synth and an incredible vocal performance from Horacio O’Brien-Ferres.
Then, following the brighter “Stay Up” is the much darker and more dissonant, “Conversation,” showcasing yet another side of New Diplomat only three songs into the EP. The flow throughout this electric release is particularly strong between “Conversation” and the slow beginning of “Moonshot,” which quickly becomes brighter and upbeat. “Ordinary People” then picks up the pace even more with strong bass and drums coupled with stunning vocal work.
Bringing Replaced to a strong close is “Proxy Love,” the high energy final track that feels reminiscent of artists like Passion Pit at times. Like “End Of An Era” and “Ordinary People,” the groovy bass and strong, upbeat drums really give “Proxy Love” great energy while the synth, guitar and vocals round things out. Only six songs in length, Replaced takes listeners on a journey while providing an accurate glimpse into New Diplomat. As soon as “Proxy Love” comes to an end, there will be no questioning who exactly this band is.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to “Proxy Love” or “Moonshot”
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