It’s been 13 long years since Dig, or Directions in Groove as the uninitiated call them, have released a studio album. Back then I was a teenager more interested in good looking boy bands than acid jazz. I knew of the Sydney band, but their new album Clearlight is the first time I think I’ve listened to them properly.
It’s all a bit different this time around. The addition of Laura Stitt on vocals, a replacement for original singer Scott Saunders, brings a new energy to the group. That female voice gives a haunting, ethereal quality to the tunes she fronts. I particularly like her work on the laidback groove, “Blind.” That difference also makes Dig feel very modern. As much as I loved the 90s, we can’t be stuck there after all.
I feel that the songs with Laura’s vocals are the album’s strongest. Her voice seems to provide an anchor which ensures the tunes don’t get too aimless. Instrumental tunes like the Latin flavoured “New Sense” start out so strong, but they tend to drag a bit towards the end.
While some tunes petered out, I found Clearlight really easy to listen to. For the most part it didn’t grab me around the throat, although the epic drum-driven “Reality” was a notable exception. However it was great background music to get me through my working week. It’s the kind of disc I’d slip on as a party was starting to wear down, or perhaps to nurse the hangover the next day.
Clearlight’s not a perfect album, but it makes me glad Dig are back on the local music scene, especially now I’m old enough to appreciate them.
Dig kicks off their Clearlight tour in Brisbane tonight. Here are all the places you can catch them.
17 November 2011 – The Old Museum, Brisbane
18 November 2011 – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
19 November 2011 – Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns
26 November 2011 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
3 December 2011 – The Studio @ Sydney Opera House, Sydney
10 December 2011 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne