(photo credit: Lee Dubin)
Diet Cig have released their new EP, I Don’t Like Driving Like I Used To via French Kiss Records. The 3-song EP features acoustic and alternative versions of tracks off the duo’s beloved and critically acclaimed 2020 album Do You Wonder About Me?. The EP kicks off with “Who Are You (Alt Version),” followed by “Priority Mail (Alt Version),” and concludes with today’s single, an acoustic take of “Broken Body.” Stereogum, Paste, and Brooklyn Vegan included the EP in their “releases of note” lists this week. Around release “Priority Mail (Alt Version)” was picked up by Brooklyn Vegan, New Noise, Northern Transmissions Punk News, and more.
“The original album version of ‘Priority Mail’ was a stark, minute-long interlude featuring little more than piano and Luciano’s voice...the duo’s alternate take on the track maintains its intimacy, but doubles its length and brings an upbeat energy to the previously somber song, with lo-fi tape hiss, acoustic guitar strums and analog synths bolstering
Luciano’s yearning vocals.” Paste
“‘Priority Mail’ definitely sounds more “lighthearted” ...doubling it in length and incorporating a more upbeat style with the analog synths, guitar, and lofi tape hiss that complement the vocals.” MXDWN
Diet Cig have been compared to tornadoes, firecrackers, and lightning storms, and described as genuine, unapologetic, and down-to-earth. Written as an ode to growing up, Do You Wonder About Me? was released in 2020 and it marked a more intentional, self-assured Diet Cig; not only in Luciano’s radically intimate, acerbic lyrics, but in the duo’s sound as well. More recently the band contributed to last week’s The Metallica Blacklist, an LP that features more than 50 artists covering every song off of Metallica’s Black Album. The band shared their take on “The Unforgiven.”
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Praise for Diet Cig’s Do You Wonder About Me?
“'I will never hate myself/The way you want me to,' Alex Luciano informs her absent ex, with the sweet clarity of her voice riding verses that seethe and rumble with a ferocity that harks back to the Who. She’s airily polite — 'I’m thriving, thanks for asking' — but the music isn’t." The New York Times on “Thriving”
“Diet Cig reject lame apologies with ‘Who Are You?’... (with a) fuzzed-out earworm of a chorus.” Rolling Stone
The power of Diet Cig comes from the way Luciano and Bowman bolster these themes with affirming positivity in the form of delightful, explosive anthems." - NPR
“the sweet clarity of her voice riding verses that seethe and rumble with a ferocity that harks back to the Who.” The New York Times
"There’s certainly more shine on ‘Thriving’ than their previous LP. It’s a ringing, slightly campy ode to the dichotomy of seeking self-sufficiency and strength while simultaneously wanting someone else to acknowledge that you’re, well, thriving." Consequence of Sound
"Musically it’s a gleaming churn with guitars that remind me of a moment when indie rock was adjacent to post-hardcore, topped off by some of Alex Luciano’s most startlingly beautiful vocal melodies." Stereogum on “Thriving
"with their signature powerful guitar chords and crashing cymbals, ‘Night Terrors’ gives fans a look into the band’s new era." Uproxx (“Best Of The Week” inclusion)
"loud, blunt, and totally fun." - Under The Radar
“Quite a comeback...the real powerhouse of this track is the drums, which launch the atmosphere headlong into weightlessness...meek vulnerability in the daintiness and girlishness of the vocals add an irresistible sweetness.” Stereogum on “Night Terrors”
"It’s safe to say Paste is glad to see Diet Cig back in action..." Paste
"a zippy pop-punk anthem delivered earnestly with crisp power chords and solid melodies." Mxdwn on “Night Terrors”
"Diet Cig is the perfect dose of pop-punk. ‘Thriving’ is a song that puts all their principles front-and-center, from their dedication to crunching guitars to Luciano’s deceptively delicate vocals, which are a Diet Cig hallmark." Grimy Goods
"Diet Cig has always managed to present bite-sized nuggets of power pop that stick with you, but ‘Thriving’ is the band at their best." The Grey Estates
"The song perfectly displays the cohesion Diet Cig is known for while amplifying the punk duo’s ability to have fun with just about any subject matter." Wild Honey Pie on “Night Terrors”
"infectious indie-rock perfection" - NY Newsday
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