Free Dimensional, released on October 23, 2012, is the second and final studio album from Canadian musician Diamond Rings (real name: John O'Regan).

Free Dimensional
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 23, 2012
Recorded2012
GenreIndie Rock, Indie Pop, Synthpop
Length41:25
LabelSecret City Records
ProducerDamian Taylor, Diamond Rings
Diamond Rings chronology
Special Affections
(2010)
Free Dimensional
(2012)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Exclaim.ca8/10[3]
PopMatters[4]
Pitchfork Media5.8/10[5]
Tiny Mix Tapes[6]
Toronto Star[7]

According to O'Regan, his Diamond Rings persona exists "to sort of smash that kind of tendency that I think we all have to sort of hide behind ourselves. And I think this record's probably, or definitely, my strongest statement that I've made to date."[8] He also says a big part of this album was "becoming more comfortable as a musician and a composer and an arranger", and "I felt like I really stepped up as a singer with this album, and I’m really proud of that.”[9]

O'Regan has stated that this album is more polished than Special Affections, but "I didn’t really change my approach lyrically or emotionally. I feel like they’re still conveying the same message, but just coated in a way that has a few more layers of gloss. It’s like we spent a two more hours waxing the car."[10] He attributes the album's heavier dance orientation to his unique recording set-up: "I had a sit-down desk and I got rid of it cause I started working all day on these songs and I started feeling really sluggish, like I was a banker or something. So I got rid of the desk, put my computer up, and started recording like that. And it just all has a more dance-ready feel because I was dancing when I was making it!"[11]

O'Regan has compared Special Affections to Free Dimensional: "The old album is more introspective, whereas Free Dimensional seems outrospective. It's got all this energy coming out of it."[12]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLength
1."Everything Speaks"3:17
2."All The Time"3:20
3."Runaway Love"4:50
4."Put Me On"5:12
5."I'm Just Me"4:35
6."Hand Over My Heart"4:40
7."(I Know) What I'm Made Of"3:46
8."A To Z"4:00
9."Stand My Ground"4:00
10."Day & Night"3:49

References edit

  1. ^ "Free Dimensional by Diamond Rings at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ Exclaim.ca review
  4. ^ PopMatters review
  5. ^ Pitchfork review
  6. ^ Tiny Mix Tapes review
  7. ^ Toronto Star review
  8. ^ "Yahoo". Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  9. ^ "Man in the Aubergine Mask | Next Magazine". Archived from the original on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  10. ^ "News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity".
  11. ^ "News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity".
  12. ^ "Diamond Rings | ION Magazine".