Divine Fits

When listening to The Thing Called Divine Fits by Divine Fits for the first time, it may sound like a group of teenagers got together in their garage to record a CD.

The music is fine, full of hipster-sounding effects and fast tempos. The vocalist is trying out his quasi-unique style of singing by screaming out, breathing into the microphone, and getting further away from it.

However, this band and the members of it get a fair amount of fame and praise. It might be possible, because the members of this brand new band have been long enough on the scene to accumulate some fandom. Divine Fits doesn’t stand out from the crowd, nor do they bring anything new to the table. Overloaded with effects, electronic sound, and pretentious voice doesn’t equate to a good indie band. Frequent phrase repetitions don’t equal deep and thought-provoking lyrics.

The only song that may claim to be interesting is “Civilian Stripes.” Maybe that song seems more appealing than anything else on the record because it sounds extremely simple, with a single acoustic guitar accompaniment and the complete absence of those cosmic jingles.

On the other hand, fans of special sound effects might enjoy this band. They are mediocre enough to listen to in a bar without causing any irritation, nicely blending in with the crowd’s noise. Divine Fits are not that bad; they just aren’t that good.