Inspired by the likes of Muse and Florence and the Machine, Monterey, California’s Direct Divide spin a grandiose, symphonic style of rock on their upcoming EP, Own Your Ocean. Backed by a crashing wave of heavy chugging guitars, synths, and pounding drums, singer Razz also plays the electric violin, using it for a startling effect and replacing the guitar as the typical lead, melodic instrument in rock music. But it doesn’t come across as novelty-ish or out of place. In fact, it feels perfectly natural, and only heightens the cinematic effect of high energy songs like “Kick It” and “We Are Legion.”
There is hardly a moment to catch one’s breath here, although the final track “1000 Years” ends with a surprising bout of true beauty between violin and piano, as if they know there is no possible way to keep building the extreme pace they had set. The only relatively “quiet” song here is “Tide Is Rising,” but even that eventually explodes into a tempest of swirling strings and vocals. As the titles suggest, water is a constant symbol in their music; the EP itself sounding like a wave crashing over you. By no means something to put on the background and forget, Own Your Ocean is an enthralling and beautiful sucker punch straight to the gut.
