Boys and Diamonds

From Tiffany Preston's wild banshee vocals to the wave-pool synths of her husband Danny, it's easy to compare Rainbow Arabia to their old tour mates Gang Gang Dance. The California-based duo stands alone in one department, however: the area of restraint. In many ways, Boys and Diamonds is the record Gang Gang Dance have long refused to make, one that finds a balance between left- field flourishes (fringe slabs of world music, dancehall, and techno) and pure indie-pop instincts. One glaring example of this welcome compromise is the album’s leadoff single, “Without You,” an instant crowd pleaser that makes us want to rent the closest convertible and peel out of the parking lot with its sun-scorched hooks on blast. Elsewhere, Rainbow Arabia take advantage of their first hi-fi recording by tackling everything from a paranoid club tune (“Sequenced") to a rock-steady reminder of what the Knife sounded like before they discovered the depths of David Lynch’s soul ("Blind").