Diamond Ace - The Mechanisms of Color
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Diamond Ace’s The Mechanisms of Color is an emotive, intensely interwoven sonic journey exploring life, love and the struggles we all face in dealing with it all. Diamond Ace’s guitar skills mingle with vocal performances by Mayah Camara, Roxy Fae, Rory Lynch and Retroglyphs (who also contributes his guitar chops) to imbue the songs with deep feeling.
All of the singing and lyrics contributed by the guest artists are a major reason why The Mechanisms of Color succeeds. Each performer brings strong singing voices to bear on the well-written lyrics that they’ve contributed. I enjoy how individual and expressive each singer is and how their abilities elevate the whole album’s sound.
Diamond Ace and Retroglyphs both add skilful guitar playing to the album. The guitars explore different tones and feelings as they lay down clean melodies and intricate, emotive solo parts that dance through the music and intensify the journey on which the album takes listeners. The musical layer they add lifts the songs up one more level.
The synths that Diamond Ace uses on the album are all carefully chosen and combined to produce a rich, complex and well-integrated sound. There are a tapestry of interesting, varied sounds that move from sparkling heights to rumbling depths with many detours through gentle, powerful and pained synthscapes along the way.
My Favourite Tracks Analyzed
“Where We Started” comes into existence as limpid, sparkling synth trembles in waves and grows in strength over a flowing bass tide. The bass has an almost physical weight to it and the bright chimes shimmer above it.
The bass forms a strong pulse and the heavy hitting drums throb in to increase the density of the track’s low end. The chimes twinkle and shine out over the solidity of the jumping drums and bass, forming a muscled surge. Synth glows with lucid clarity above the powerful weight underneath it as sweeping winds drift through the track.
There’s gigantic power in the drums and bass, adding profound propulsion in fascinating contrast to the delicate shimmer above as the drums drop out and the crystal chimes fade away into quiet.
Medium-high, effulgent synth rapidly wanders in oscillating patterns though “Kaleidoscopic’s" open spaces as the colossal kick drum throbs and solidly gliding bass swells. Now the drums create forceful forward motion underneath wildly cascading, shining synth patterns.
Gently caressing, elevated synth trails airy tendrils through the music as it carries a charmingly tender melody over the drum and bass motion below it. Slipping synth moves in trembling lines over the active bass as glittering, high sounds ripple in undulating patterns. The lead synth floats in again to lightly touch the ears, exuding feelings of cloudy ease, while the continuous drum and bass pulse moves the track forward before winding down to silence.
“Thirteen Horses” opens as distant, fragile synth slowly builds in the background before pulsing drums and solid bass underpin Diamond Ace’s guitar. The guitar’s strings exude expressive emotion over the laidback synth glide and shaping drums.
Retroglyphs' voice is breathy and aches with feeling over the strong drum and bass motion. I enjoy how Diamond Ace’s drifting guitar increases the song’s emotional depth. Warm synth waves lap against the touching guitar as it sails distantly through the music. Retroglyphs' vocals beautifully capture a feeling of loss as they slip over the steady pulse underneath them.
The guitar flows in a smooth line that unfurls with a light touch and supports the rising, emotive vocals. Now broad guitar notes shift in a lost-feeling melody. Unique, hollow percussion forms a different pulse as the bass lifts the other sonic elements. Retroglyphs' hazy voice lifts up over the drums and bass underneath before the song ends.
Our narrator opens by saying “there I am at 22, nothing left to prove” and talks about how he went running back to the song’s subject also with “nothing left to prove.” The narrator refers to taking a gamble as he’s unable to pick even one of the “thirteen horses” he mentions.
The storyteller has told an unnamed group that he was supposed to have left that night, but has lied. Again he repeats that there were thirteen horses but “with my luck, I couldn’t pick them” out and concludes that “And then I lied.”
A twinkling bell and string-like, shimmering synth is joined by Rory Lynch’s emotive voice as with distant piano washes through to start “This Life.” Bass oscillation and solidly hitting drums propel the music as a dreaming sax echoes out. Rory Lynch’s richly expressive vocals float as throbbing drums guide the music on.
The vocal melody carries wistful emotion in a superb way as sax accents deepen its melancholy. The song moves into a segment in which the percussion drops out and sparkling chimes flash in.The guitar sings out in resonant, touching notes over the piano chords and bass flow.
Rory Lynch’s singing imbues the words with meaning as a spinning guitar arcs out in a full-toned, widely ranging guitar solo. I enjoy the solo's jazzy freedom as it wheels and soars. Underneath it, the drums throb with energy and the sax cries out and hurts into silence.
Our narrator’s pain and loss is palpable as he talks about how “this life was just a hopeless cause” and says that “this song” wasn’t meant for him. He goes on to wonder if love is only “a warm body” laying next to him and a soft voice speaking to him.
The narrator’s outlook is bleak as he says that because our deaths are inevitable “maybe life’s just a big hose.” He goes on to say that “this life was just a hopeless call” before adding that it seems like nothing ever comes out of it. Our narrator says that “you get lonely, get lost in the city” but it doesn’t make any difference at all.
An actively moving bassline and echoing, trickling strings open “Appreciation” as Roxy Fae’s airy, easy-flowing voice carries a delicately caressing vocal melody. Guitar notes reverberate out into open space over the guiding drum pulse. Mayah Camara’s lush, strong voice trembles with feeling as solidly throbbing drums shape the music. The guitar glides out in slipping notes over the bass oscillation and drifts alone.
Mayah Camara’s voice fills the music with deep expression, intertwining with Roxy Fae’s supporting vocals. The song floats out into a drifting, gently caressing section. The two singer’s voices layer in more emotion over the bass density and depth before Diamond Ace’s guitar carries a yearning solo full of need and desire over the shaping drums and bass.
The narrator talks about how the song’s subject turns her away because “that's how you show your friends that you're in control” adding that they “haven’t in a long time. She says that the other person doesn’t push her “‘cause you know I’m right” adding “I need a little more appreciation.” Our narrator asks, “Haven’t you seen the best of me?”
As the song continues, the storyteller asks for an apology and some more appreciation again. She requests that the other person try to "treat me like your 100%, miss out on your friends tonight” and points out that they can see them another day. She adds “make it your plans to get close to me.” The narrator ends up concluding that “I don’t wanna talk about it, I heard it all before” and finishes on the line “we haven’t in a long time.”
"(Untitled 4)” commences as quickly cascading, spinning arpeggios are joined by thick, heavy bass. Diamond Ace’s flickering guitar carries howling notes that leap out over the bouncing drumbeat and pulsing bass as the intertwining, glittering synths fall in tumbling patterns.
The guitar is driven by the massive bass as it growls and smoother, round, medium-high synth bubbles through in repeating, sparkling patterns. The guitar part skillfully mixes shadows and pent up energy over the jumping drums and thick bass. Diamond Ace's guitar cuts through to contrast with the brighter arpeggios shine as tense synths also swell.
The guitar takes on a smoother, more easy-going flow as arpeggios keep whirling in intertwining threads and the drums guide them on. Intricate guitar notes drip with blazing emotion, leaping out above the churning power that surges below. The track ends on distorted, falling notes moving into empty space.
Conclusion
The Mechanisms of Color is an album full of intertwining synths and guitars, strong vocal performances and an expressive sense of emotional exploration. Diamond Ace and his guests stepped up and the end result is a great deal of listening pleasure. To learn more about Diamond Ace, check him out here.
