It’s fair to say that Divergent have enjoyed an incredible year so far. Building up towards an album with a stream of singles, the Iowa-based rock outfit has now reached their milestone, with ‘Rev It Up’ LP now out in the world. In it, we get to discover all of the retro influences that propel the group, from your run-of-the-mill hard rock euphoria to more soulful and nuanced 70s vibes.
As we approach the album, we are immediately presented with eight hard-hitting, nostalgic tracks, a slice of authentic, roaring rock’n’roll that’s hard to resist. It’s old school! Alongside the four songs already released as singles previously, we also found brand new offerings, such as the more eclectic jewel ‘Shine On’, ending the record on a keys-powered arrangement. Divergent are James Richards (guitar, keys, vocals), Mike McAlister (bass, vocals), and James’ brother Paul Richards (drums, vocals).
Delving deeper into the collaborative creative process that guides the project, Richards explains: “We demoed about 30 songs for the album and, as the songwriter, I love them all, so it’s difficult for me to choose the best songs. As experienced and talented musicians, Paul and Mike helped us narrow the album down to the final eight tracks. It’s deliberately a team effort, and I highly value their input and contributions to deciding which tracks ended up on the album.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Rev It Up’ now: