Caught between N64’s Wave Race soundtrack and Warpaint on synth steroids, Toronto’s Diana drops a debut album that is both danceable and deep. Though somewhat typical of shoegaze revival, these are serious cuts—slightly schizoid, but never boring. Strongest showings are “Born Again,” an ultra-addictive relaxation groove, “Anna,” which would belong to the genre of Final Fantasy house music, if it existed (maybe it does) and “Strange Attraction,” a sickeningly sweet electro ballad. While a few tracks aren’t as strong, Perpetual Surrender will be getting serious play at my solo dance parties for the next little while.
This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2013.