REVIEW

A debut album from Greek post-punk / shoegaze band Youth Valley. The band has openly cited DIIV as a key influence, and it shows—in the best possible way. Nearly every track pushes shimmering, hyper-luminous guitar tones to a level that, at times, feels worthy of comparison with DIIV’s classic Oshin. The difference is that Youth Valley pair that sparkle with immediately gripping vocal melodies, drawing in equal measure from post-punk gloom and the romanticism of goth and new wave. It’s the kind of record that wins you over fast.

My personal highlight is track #4, “Godheads,” which races forward in a blaze of glittering guitars before detonating into a late-stage wall of noise. It feels like one possible future that DIIV never chose—a parallel path where the shine was never dimmed.

If you’ve been listening to DIIV’s more recent output and thinking, “This could really use more sparkle,” this album is an easy recommendation. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out their cover of The Cure’s “Pictures of You” drenched in reverb and perfectly suited to their aesthetic.