The Dig played an exclusive set at Larimer Lounge on Monday comprised of their newest Bloodshot Tokyo (2017)- a refreshing offshoot from predecessors Tame Impala and Dr. Dog. The Dig bring the raw relatability of the primary in their clever lyricism and tonality, yet elevate the mood with the syrupy psychedelia of the latter. The quattro has palpable magnetism; their far reaching harmonies were layered yet concise, dripping with charming clarity while remaining danceable and effervescent.
Photo Kendall Morris
Photo Kendall Morris
David Baldwin and Emile Mosseri fronted the stage with a strange at-home electricity. The show was to be their last of the tour, thus they were familiar with set and stage, but also ready to blow whatever pent energy they had left post-road.
Emile Mosseri took to the ledge, drenched in magenta light, channeling light, mild-and-airy vocals which Baldwin closely shadowed. Keyboardist Erik Eiser sifted through the melodies and keyboard settings with quick hands and quicker bare feet; his maze of wires included a varied pedal assemblage, multiple keyboards and synths, and a plastic water cup expertly tucked into his discarded sneaker for safe sips.
On tracks like Jet Black Hair their pedalwork crafted intricate waves and rifts with oblique attention, while on others such as Bleeding Heart (You Are the One), synthy beats drove the set into saturation. Their set was largely explorative; sounds drifted over the crowd for interminable moments before flitting off into another pop-beat configuration.
The Dig’s new sound is easy yet invasive and implacable. Their sound worms into your limbs and may just start moving them, but it posesses a cerebral and candid quality that is often impossible to mimic. While The Dig’s new release Bloodshot Tokyo is in conversation with the larger forces in the psych-pop movement, it remains it’s own entity, dolling out it’s own particular creativity rooted in it’s New York upbringing.
We’re excited to see where The Dig is going, particularly with their newest release. Their set is not to be missed, and posed as a reminder of the weird magic of music, the art of crafting songs with full-blooded entities out of the smoke in the barroom air.