Magnificent Desolation

Sometimes, a good rock band is as simple as three guys and a good hook. For Detroit power trio The Dives, this is the golden rule. The Dives is comprised of veteran Detroit rockers Kevin Perri (The Junk Monkeys) on bass, Andrew Pike (The Black Mollies) on drums and Ron McPherson (Sunday Painters) on vocals and guitar. Each song on the band's debut release, "Magnificent Desolation", has a distinct mood. Sometimes fun and irreverent, sometimes serious and searching. The continuity that bonds the work is the band's signature sound: driving riffs, compelling lyrics, and a presentation that is unmistakably full of Detroit rock and roll swagger. Case in point: "Second Man." The song is a subtle but clever ode to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon. The song's arrangement takes multiple dips and turns, but never veers off course. Throughout the album, the mood shifts in varying directions-"Whiskey Talking" and "Wild Flower" are on opposite ends of the spectrum thematically-but the sound throughout is always distinctly The Dives. "Magnificent Desolation" may be the first stop for The Dives, but it is clearly not the final destination. Although each player brings his own taste and background in music-Perri's penchant for the Clash and The Replacements goes toe-to-toe with Pike's partiality for the Ramones and The Dead Boys, while McPherson's musical leanings are more toward Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones-the trio's synthesis comes from their ability to meet in the middle and by doing so they have created a nine song powerhouse debut release. Because sometimes that's all you need: three guys and a good hook.