New Artist: DIANA

There's not enough acid in the world to allow me to understand psychedelic pop band DIANA's video for their first single, "Born Again." I suppose that's kind of the beauty of it, though. This comfortably surreal offering was proffered to us at BitCandy by notably accomplished curator Duffster and he's hit the nail yet again.

This foreign yet familiar track is a trip and a half without ever leaving the comfort of your computer chair. Optimistically upbeat for a chill music track, the barely discernible lyrics make the vocals play almost like an additional instrument in the shifting, experimental soundscape that is "Born Again." Heavy on synths and laden with effects, "Born Again" gently pushes the envelope without becoming pretentious. DIANA delivers a solid escape from reality that is both chill and engaging.

Often I'll find myslf immediately liking a song in this genre only to discover the band can't write a hook, or the song doesn't ever go anywhere, and eventually my interest wanes. But "Born Again" holds my interest, delivers a catchy melody, and makes me very excited about DIANA's full-length debut album dropping on August 20 worldwide on JagJaguwar. I can already picture myself kicking back in a hammock, sparking my favorite relaxation aid and slowly sinking in to the cool, comforting sounds of DIANA.