Darker My Love – Alive As You Are (Dangerbird)
4/5
By: Chris Jones
Darker My Love’s latest offering of psychedelic charm makes your acquaintance with an effortless grace on the very first listen. Alive As You Are was recorded in the acclaimed Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco, and the album seems to echo the state from which it was made, as if borrowing the eclectic mix of cool summer fog and rolling hills from the Pacific and liberal attitude from the people.
It kicks in on its third track, ‘18th Street Shuffle’ possessing an intro that sounds like trouble on the horizon, speckled with guitar riffs from Tim Presley and Jared Everett while Rob Barbato’s bassline keeps banging solidly. Will Canzoneri on the clavinet/organ offers up some great melodies, reminiscent of Ray Manzarek of The Doors, on top of the riff-soaked beast of a track.
With a change of pace, ‘Trail The Line’ is a melancholic tale of a forlorn lover. The chorus pleas, “Please don’t trail the line, I am out here on the phone, seven weeks alone, please make up your mind – for me, I’m having a hard time hope you can see,” but despite the gloom of the lyrics the light guitar riffs and high tempo keep it upbeat enough to prevent the song from sounding sappy, or ever once like a whinge.
‘Dear Author’ is a letter to an anonymous and presumably iconic scribe, and is one of the best tunes here, aided by great little quips like “when I was on holiday, I went and highlighted every line, so I could quote you when, I was with my friends.” The song climaxes with the sumptuous polyphonic weirdness of the clavinet, which is always a nice touch isn’t it?
“Cry On Me Woman” is a tender close, calming down after the thrashing psychedelia of earlier tracks, and again the lyrics from Tim Presley and Rob Barbato are top notch, “Since I’ve been back, I haven’t felt the same” telling the story of a regret stained homecoming. “’I’ve got no time to waste on old love”, they cry. I’d happily waste hours on this new one, mind.
Artists in this article: Darker My Love
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