album: Swear I'm Good At This - Diet Cig
Now, more than ever, we all just need a encouragement, to know that we're not alone. We've all likely had a second where we stop to stare in a mirror and feel self-doubt, wondering if anyone else ever has these moments, too. On their debut album, Diet Cig provides that much needed burst of encouragement in an album of self-awareness, beauty and embracing every part of you, even the parts you have yet to discover.
Swear I'm Good At This is a party, one filled with confetti, brightly colored balloons and the sounds of the funnest, most blissful and sloppy pop you'll ever hear. The record plays like a late night slumber party, where Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman are snuggled next to you, giggling, whispering secrets of a terrible teenage romance ("Sixteen"), the paradise presented in length tub soaks with a "Bath Bomb" and the desire to pack it all up and head off on a "Road Trip".
Throughout all the unending fun, there's also heart, a full display of personal thoughts and feelings; a reminder to never apologize for who you are. "Link In Bio" is a gnarly, most defiant fuck you to every person who has ever questioned the validity of your emotions, with Luciano yelling what would be pasted in everyone's AIM profile: "I’m not being dramatic/I’ve just fucking had it /With the things that you say you think that i should be /Well i’m done/Can’t always be so fun/I’m done with being a chill girl/I’m trying to take over the world/Don’t tell me to calm down/ I know what i want so please fuck off." The band's bright day colored heart is further apparent on tracks that lament the hardships of being a punk and wearing a skirt ("Tummy Ache"), the waterworks, sadness and emotion that accompany relationships ("Maid of the Mist") and the desire to just figure it all out on "I Don't Know Her."
Each day it seems that we awaken to something terrible in the news, we fear what may come next and wonder what's waiting around the corner. We feel alone, even if we're surrounded by others and we try our best to navigate - and for one brief listening experience, Diet Cig provides an escape. The album is a few riotous minutes of pure fun, a bottle rocket of garage pop that lights up the sky and fills up your heart. Turn this album up, loud, and find yourself a pair of friends in Diet Cig.