DIOYY Does it offend you, yeah
Have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like if space aliens (as opposed to Earth aliens) came down to Earth, were taught human ways by punk rockers, learned how to play music (easy on the distortion there, alien!) then gained popularity as a band? The answer to that hypothetical might be found in the British electronic rock band, Does It Offend You, Yeah?.
Links for DIOYY – Does it offend you, yeah
Hailing from Reading, this quartet has managed to combine heavy guitar with even heavier synth to create an extremely unique and danceable album. Their debut album, ‘You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into’, was released on March 24th, 2008. Though the record only reached #48 on the UK charts, it’s definitely an album worth giving a listen.
From the start, the album lets you know that it’s here with ‘Battle Royale’. The track is an intergalactic instrumental that reads as space battle epic with just a pinch of disco and it definitely sets the mood for the rest of the album.
‘With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)’ is a more intense blend of song on the album, starting off with a funky feel and moving into something much heavier. The band is one that doesn’t seem to take themselves too seriously which is quite refreshing and can make for some entertaining surprises throughout the album when done properly. This is quite evident in the heavy breathing that permeates the build up in the song, along with Rushent screaming out, “Oh God,” in an almost obscene fashion. If obscene doesn’t make for one hell of a dance party, I don’t know what does.
It’s also the first song off the album where we hear the lead singer, James Rushent’s voice. Though the vocals are really nothing out of the ordinary, they don’t necessarily need to be because the band carefully crafts their music to be the most important part of the song. In a lot of the tracks, the music seems to almost drown out the vocals and it can be a little bit difficult to understand what it is that Rushent is saying with all of the filters they’ve added to the voices on the album.
A smoking blend of hard rock and electro, ‘We Are Rockstars’ will get stuck in your head after you hear it. If it sounds familiar to you, it might be because it’s been used in trailer for ‘The Fast and the Furious’.
The first single that I heard from DIOYY? and the fourth song off of the album is ‘Dawn of the Dead’. The song is much more accessible than the rest of the album with a lot less distortion, heaviness and yelling. That being said, it is still one of the best tracks off the album and helps to provide a rest from the frantic electronic rock that permeates the other tracks.
‘Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus’ definitely wins the award for best song title. The title is absolutely fitting, believe it or not. I could definitely see this being the theme song for a B-movie about a gigantic sapphic squid. It’s an awesome blend of science-fiction and punk, filled fit to burst your bra with whining synth and crunching guitars.
Putting forth a sort of invitation with their next standout track, ‘Let’s Make Out’ is a just little bit raunchy, but a lot of fun. The track has an upbeat though slightly sinister sound that works well with the PG-13 feel of the song. It’s definitely a great song to play at a party to get people dancing, singing along to and maybe even acting out the lyrics.
According to DIOYY?, ‘Being Bad Feels Pretty Good’, and this track feels okay too. It has a bit of an eighties vibe and is incredibly catchy. The backing vocals during the bridge are rich and add an extra punch.
The last track off the album, ‘Epic Last Song’ offers a slightly softer side to the band. The song lives up to its title – like ‘Dawn of the Dead’ it’s not so heavy on the distortion and aims for, indeed, a more ‘epic’ feel.
The album is good despite a few setbacks. With only ten songs, three of which are instrumentals, the album is short and can leave you wanting more if you enjoy their unique sound.
Aside from ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and ‘Epic Last Song’, the band’s sound could come off as being overly experimental and put some listeners off. The filters and strange sounds that the band chooses to incorporate into their music can be overwhelming at times, so it’s not an album for the faint of ears. The band seems to have paid so much attention to the music that they sometimes lose track of the vocals – which can result in Rushent sounding like he’s drowning in the rest of the music.
Though the album is by no means perfect, it’s interesting, playful and puts a refreshing alternative spin on your everyday dance music. If you are just looking for a good time, fancy a dance and like to get a daily dose of musical quirk, you will be more than satisfied with what DIOYY? has to offer.
