The D.O.T - Diary

We live in a world where everything is packaged, divided, sub-divided, kept in its little box and never allowed to escape. In the digital age the infinitesimal divisions of genre and sub-genre have become rigid road maps by which we all triangulate our taste and measure our cool. Rubbish, isn’t it?

So what happens when someone mixes up that rigidity, kicks the doors down and does what they sodding well want? With ‘Diary’, the second album from The D.O.T, Mike Skinner and Rob Harvey have done just that. Not content to revert to the type of their previous musical endeavours the duo have put together a record that defies any attempt to pigeonhole it whilst retaining a distinct character which, while a little less playful than either The Streets or The Music, certainly keeps a glint in its eye.

It’s a veritable sonic smorgasbord: there’s soulful numbers that feel like the aural equivalent of a walk in the countryside (‘Blood Sweat And Tears’), there’s bluesy tones (‘Most Of My Time’), there’s shuffling dance vibes (‘Wherever You May Be’) and even expansive broad brush strokes of sound apt to get lost in should you wish (‘Left At The Lights’). Harvey’s voice, always the main strength of The Music, truly shines – rich with emotion and tonally both distinctive and full of of gravitas. Skinner’s production too is of the high quality we have come to expect, though stylistically he spreads his wings here probably more than on any other record that he has put his name to. It is a album made to a high level of gloss and sheen but never feels over done, rather it revels in its layered orchestration which will leave those who are inclined to look discovering something new with each listen.

These complexities and such breadth of songwriting mean that ‘Diary’ is certainly not the most immediate album you will hear this year and will no doubt confuse many who are looking for the next ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’. However, if you are prepared to enter into the listening experience with open ears and an open mind then you will be rewarded with an album of remarkable completeness that feels like a genuine coming of age for two musicians who are growing a little older with a significant degree of grace.