Diamond Rings

Free Dimensional (Astralwerks)

Great story: disheveled post-punker trades in his decrepit brown notes for rinky-dink Eighties hooks and a vast array of leopard-print tights. Two years on, Toronto’s John O’Regan refreshes his Diamond Rings solo project with a sophomore dollop of glam-pop glitz. Free Dimensional is a dance craze on wax. O’Regan’s been drawn further away from his guitar and closer to carbonated synths, so he’s eager to tell everyone else they can’t keep up. A peacock of a songwriter, his “I’m Just Me” splashes acid and sugar, while “Day & Night” shakes it out with an irresistible cliche: “One, two! Let me love you! Three, four! Love you more.” It’s both hip-hop fashionable and cheesy banal packed into one vibrant and romantic spree. (Fri., Blue stage, 3:20pm)

**.5

This article appears in November 2 • 2012.

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