Dive Index: Mid/Air

Highly collaborative albums frequently falter under the weight of their own ambition. Amazingly, despite spreading the work of a dozen odd singers and musicians over 11 tracks, the debut effort from Dive Index is singularly expressive. The instrumentals consistently pick at the popping, clicking side of indie downtempo electronica throughout the work. When one of the girls sings, it sounds like the album Alias and Tarsier put together. Granted, Brookland / Oaklyn is one of the weakest releases in Alias’ otherwise stellar catalogue, but considering how many cooks composer Will Thomas invited into his kitchen, the clarity of vision achieved here is objectively commendable. However, this is seriously humorless music that has ultimately been done before, and it was equally passable then. You wouldn’t think it would be all that hard to achieve some wholesome variety considering the names involved.