As my first review for Alt Revue, I did not expect to provide insight on a band or album that I didn’t know about. However, the mystery behind the sound, the voice, and the overall finished canvas excited me, as I knew I was about to experience something entirely new. Even though indie is not entirely present in my day-to-day playlists or list of favorite bands and artists, the raw emotion, unrestrained recordings, and unfiltered lyrics of the genre are still familiar to me.
Deep Sea Diver’s Billboard Heart changed my perspective on what to expect from the current indie scene. I hate to say it, but when I think of indie, what I hear in my head is heavily reverberant, drawn-out vocals, slow tempos, and unconventional instruments mixed together to create an overall sound that, while good, often lacks cohesion. It leans away from the typical flagship studio or radio sound.
Immediately, "Billboard Heart", the title track, begins with a very distorted synth pad with a ping-pong delay. Caught off guard, I am pulled into this vibrant and beautiful soundscape, led by the entrancing vocals of Jessica Dobson. Suddenly, I’m transported into this edgy, distorted jumble of crunchy, crisp guitars, beautifully recorded and tight drums, and resonating lyrics that indeed make me want to “punch out the clouds.” What truly ties it all together is how well-mixed the sound is—every instrument has its space, each element is glued together seamlessly, and Jessica’s aggressively crisp vocals soar above it all with a beautiful blend of reverb and slap delay.
Just hearing the first song, you know the experience you’re about to embark on will be otherworldly. The album is a nonstop combustive sound experience that will make you want to stand out of a limo, reach high, and scream into the black sky—cathartically releasing your stress and frustration, momentarily forgetting your probably unfun full-time job. From the raging guitar intro in "Emergency" to the hauntingly depressing yet beautiful sound and lyrics of "Always Waving Goodbye", the album resonates deeply with the soul, toying with emotions. At times, you want to headbang; other times, you want to shed a tear—or at least reminisce about the struggles of loss and failure, about your most deeply repressed memories.
Listening to this album, you can feel the cohesive glue that binds its sound together, but it’s important to acknowledge the distress and immense challenges that went into its creation. Amid moments of stress and an outright lack of confidence in its essence, Dobson and the band initially agreed to part ways with the project, leaving behind recordings, lyrics, and ideas. Moments like these remind us, as listeners, of the immense time, love, and energy poured into the music we casually hit play on to drown out the sounds of our realities. But Dobson says it best in "Happiness is Not a Given": “Don’t go kicking and screaming. You’ve got to believe that there’s more.” She later revisited the original recordings and was reminded of the beauty in raw reality—the resonance that fills the listener. The realness, the struggle, the doubt, and the failure—these are the essence of growth, the fuel that helps paint the canvas of what would become a masterpiece. That is the “more.”
Billboard Heart made me realize that there is so much more to music than genre classification. There is a vast space within me that still needs to learn and grow—because, in the words of Dobson, “What do I know?” This album is an artistic representation of what it means to be human, to fear that you have nothing more to give. Dobson and Deep Sea Diver learned to see through the tinted glass of deep insecurity, and what emerged is undoubtedly what fans may consider their best work.
I used to think that one of the greatest compliments a band or artist could receive was gaining a new fan. While that is true, if I may go a step further, I can truthfully say that Billboard Heart made me understand that there is so much more to learn about music—the art of exploring the areas we rarely acknowledge. You never know what will resonate with you emotionally, spiritually, and artistically.
Rating - 4.5/5
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