[rating=7.00]
Now that the novelty of their name has mostly worn off for fans, we are free to focus on Diarrhea Planet’s continuous evolution as a killer rock band. Their latest record is a bombastic, hook-filled ride through sun-drenched, beer-soaked garages. Their brand of pop-infused punk rock is more addictive than ever on Turn to Gold, and their sound has only gotten tighter.
There’s a sense of nostalgia that seeps in when listening to Diarrhea Planet. Millennials will be reminded of the early aughts pop-rock craze, but will appreciate how much better these guys are in comparison with some of the bands we loved back then. And that same nostalgia comes through in their lyrics, too. “Bob Dylan’s Grandma” waxes poetic about coming of age with a deep love of rock and roll, and “Hot Topic” remembers things as they used to be in the band’s home city of Nashville, pre-gentrification. And though it’s often hard to make out the fuzzy lyrics between the hard and heavy shredding and head-banging volume, the dudes of Diarrhea Planet have quite thoughtfully crafted these songs.
As we’ve come to expect from these guys, their sound is like a rowdy, raucous house party, complete with moshing, shotgunning beers, and diving off the roof into the swimming pool. There’s a carefree messiness to their uninhibited arrangements, full of textured layers of guitars that are bound to melt some faces. “Ain’t a Sin to Win” finds lead singer/screamer Jordan Smith getting really excited about the thrill of driving fast, while lovingly poking fun at over-the-top hair metal. The band is deftly admires their influences while also finding the humor in them.
They confront relationships, heartbreak, and the pains of having to grow up, which sounds dark, but when explored through the Diarrhea Planet perspective, is actually a blast. Their chaos is carefully controlled, but never inauthentic or uptight. And if you, too, are experiencing the struggle of becoming an adult, rocking out to Diarrhea Planet might just be the best possible way to let loose.
