Palindrome kicks off with a song called "Pigman," and given the band's indie/grunge genre, I got really excited that it might be a reference to Silverchair's "Tomorrow" video with the Pig Man. It wasn’t that; it is, however, a great indicator for the feel of the rest of the album. The song kicks of with a catchy melody that's a bit California pop-punk, but within a few moments, there's an unsettling, purposeful offbeat drum that persists through the song. I have a tendency to latch onto the drum beat and go with it, but it's nearly impossible to do with the beat in "Pigman." That's kind of a shame because it's a song that would easily get stuck in my head if only I could get a feel for that offbeat drumming. However, the vocals are spot-on here, and it's one of my favorites lyrically: "I'm so unoriginal/ I'm so cliché/ Every song I write is always about me/ I wanna be heard/ I have nothing to say." It's a cleverly introspective verse that most musicians likely feel on occasion as they explore their personal style and reflect on what it is to be a musician. It's a strong start to a solid album that ends on the upbeat.

 

While the next two songs (which are unusually titled "Three" and "Four") slow things down a bit - particularly "Four" which is almost entirely instrumental - the album's fourth song "Soap" offers listeners a unique, if not totally out there mash-up of a slow and soft indie ballad with Hawthorne Heights-style vocals. The song opens with a dreamlike melody and soft drums that are vaguely reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight," but maybe that's because the music is like a lullaby, and as I listen, I can imagine myself staring up at the stars and slowly drifting up and away. I can feel my eyelids getting heavy when I hear something like an echo or a scratchy, badly-tuned radio in the background. It's soft at first, but as it builds, I realize it's a second vocalist. They sing in sync, and the dichotomy of these two opposite voices adds an indescribable depth to the song. It's a unique sound that I've not heard from other bands, and I would love to see Diet develop it in their future records. The only downside in its current state is that the lyrics are a bit difficult to understand, but the effect is mesmerizing. A lengthy outro ends the song with that same feeling of floating that drew me in from the start.

 

The album ends with the band's hard rocking single "I Can't Sit Still," appropriately named because it's impossible to sit still while listening to this upbeat, energetic track. Catchy guitar riffs and a killer beat makes this song infinitely more danceable than "Pigman," because despite feeling like the drums are a bit off from the vocals, I'm fairly certain it’s an intentional experimentation that is much more successful than its predecessor. I got so caught up in the music that I almost missed the lyrics which are in stark contrast to the energetic melody: "I'm scared to die/ But I don't wanna stay alive." It feels so out of place buried in the enlivened melody, but so did the screamo vocals behind a slow-paced indie melody; I'm beginning to see a theme in the band's experimental approach to mixing opposites. "I Can't Sit Still" ends with an equally lively outro, which interestingly enough, leads almost seamlessly into the first song if you let it repeat. Except, of course, for those strangely discordant drums.

 

It's not quite the 90’s grunge I expected from the cover, but Palindrome is a showcase of experimental songs pulling from a variety of 90’s music and more. With an infectiously catchy single and music that will satisfy your inner indie-grunge-punk rocker more than you thought possible, Palindrome delivers an experimental mash-up of genres in a polished package of ear candy.