AMG Review of Diamonds & Studs

Gregory Heaney
All Music Guide

Like the title implies, Morningwood's second album is all about two things, sparkly sparkly pop and driving rock. The record blends power pop with glammy dance rock excess, sounding a bit like Brassy or a less intense, female Andrew W.K. "The Best of Me" (also the theme song for VH1's #Daisy of Love), which jumps out of the gate with big guitars and vaguely tribal percussion, is an easy-to-like and easier-to-dance-to pop single if there ever were one. The real high points of the album come when the rock makes its way to the forefront. "Killer Life" and "Snobby Little Elf" are solid, arena-ready power pop singalongs, with both songs drawing you in with a bit of a buildup before exploding into instantly catchy choruses. Morningwood are moving to get out of the rock club and into the nightclub, and Diamonds & Studs is an album that's easy on the ears and hard on dancefloors.