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Deceiver
by
Deceiver Image
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 29 Ratings

  • Summary: The third full-length release for the Brooklyn-based indie rock band was inspired by lead singer Zachary Cole Smith's recovery from drug addiction.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 9, 2019
    85
    Deceiver isn’t your Oshin or Is the Is Are, not by a longshot. Yet, while certain touchstones are present that give away that this is in fact DIIV, in a much larger sense we’re observing a band operating unlike they have before, and in the midst of that shift, they execute it stunningly.
  2. Under The Radar
    Oct 4, 2019
    85
    "Skin Game" and "Like Before You Were Born" display an added maturity to Smith's lyrical observations, while in having the caustic "Horsehead" and epic "Acheron" bookend the album, he's manage to create a musical novel that's painfully autobiographical yet triumphant in its execution.
  3. Paste Magazine
    Oct 3, 2019
    84
    Cole’s experiences in rehab became the inspiration for the group’s latest record, Deceiver, and while the album displays the group’s darkest sound yet, it also ends up being their most earnest.
  4. Exclaim
    Oct 3, 2019
    80
    It's dark subject matter — which makes grunge's famously gloomy sonic palette a particularly good fit for a record that's as beautiful as it is bleak.
  5. Glide Magazine
    Oct 4, 2019
    80
    Deceiver packs a much heavier punch than previous releases. Where Is the Is Are had an airier, spacey feeling throughout, Deceiver throws in heavy riffs and grungier distortion. Overall, Deceiver is an album that delivers on both the musical and lyrical sides.
  6. DIY Magazine
    Oct 3, 2019
    80
    Deceiver is his first truly clear-eyed artistic statement - it’s also his most mature.
  7. The 405
    Oct 8, 2019
    65
    Though it’s DIIV’s most consistent record so far, a step in the right direction and a more radical a gear shift than either of those releases, the tracks on Deceiver offer only wide differences in quality and little variation in style.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. LDyhrKopp
    Dec 6, 2019
    10
    Just about each song gets better the more you listen to them. DIIV's beat album to date, and my pick for AoTY
  2. Rosenstiel
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Unlike previous releases, DIIV focus less on up-tempo intricacy, and spiral into a hypnotic melding of grunge and shoegaze. With each listen,Unlike previous releases, DIIV focus less on up-tempo intricacy, and spiral into a hypnotic melding of grunge and shoegaze. With each listen, Deceiver gets better. In time, it will be considered DIIV's most compelling work.… Expand
  4. Klasw
    Nov 1, 2019
    10
    The band talks addiction, recovery, and their hiatus and how these elements led to their heaviest album to date.
    Best rock album of the Year!
  5. surf1ngthevoid
    Jan 10, 2020
    9
    With a heavier sound and a deeper lyricism than their previous releases, Deceiver take place as their best work to date, in my humble opinion.With a heavier sound and a deeper lyricism than their previous releases, Deceiver take place as their best work to date, in my humble opinion. It's amazing how they keep maturing and improving their sound album after album. I take my hat off.… Expand
  6. Melodiccnavas
    Oct 4, 2019
    9
    DIIV’s best work yet. The music is compelling, dark, and more dynamic than any of their past work.
  7. charliequaker
    Oct 18, 2019
    7
    On their 3rd album, this Brooklyn, New York band plays dreamy gauze-fuzz songs that subtly slide from a whispery pop sound to rumblingOn their 3rd album, this Brooklyn, New York band plays dreamy gauze-fuzz songs that subtly slide from a whispery pop sound to rumbling shoegaze on maximum distortion. It’s an album that builds in intensity and power—both as it progresses trough the tracks and with repeated exposure. It takes a couple of listens for the songs to break through, but when they do—you’re hooked! Members have played in Beach Fossils, **** RIYL: All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors, My Bloody Valentine, Pinkshinyultrablast, Medicine, Ringo Deathstarr. There is a subtle magic in “Deceiver” that elevates it to a higher level and slowly reels you in. Recommended.… Expand

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