On ZIRP!, DIIV bring bigger pop hooks and playful energy to their swirling guitars, pairing infectious melodies with sharp observations about technology, money, and modern life.
DIIV bring bigger hooks and a mischievous sense of humor to ZIRP!, their fifth album, produced by A. G. Cook. The band’s fascination with technology, money, and modern anxiety remains intact, with pop ambition adding a fresh charge to their guitar-driven sound.
Following 2024’s Frog In Boiling Water, Zachary Cole Smith, Andrew Bailey, Colin Caulfield, and Ben Newman give themselves permission to have some fun. Even the title carries a pointed joke: ZIRP stands for “zero interest rate policy,” connecting the album to the economic conditions that helped fuel the startup boom.
Early reviews have welcomed the change in direction. Pitchfork included ZIRP! among its most anticipated albums of fall 2026, highlighting the combination of shoegaze textures, electronic pop, and inviting hooks. Stereogum’s Tom Breihan was similarly intrigued by “Kid,” praising how its different elements come together and suggesting that its contrast with “The Fountain” promises an album with plenty of variety.
A. G. Cook’s involvement brings an intriguing twist. Known for his work with Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek, the producer became absorbed in DIIV’s concerts. Those performances guided the recording process, which emphasized live drums, intricate guitar parts, and carefully chosen effects pedals.
Opening track “The Fountain” introduces that approach, pairing the band’s enveloping guitar textures with an insistent rhythmic attack. It leads an eleven-song collection that also includes “Kid,” “Trillions,” “Us Against You,” and “Idiot In The Sky.”
DIIV have always found melody inside distortion. With ZIRP!, they make that attraction central to the project, inviting listeners into songs that give their uneasy view of the world an unexpectedly playful outlet.