This summer’s Alive As You Are doesn't sound any more contemporary. If anything, the third album sends their aesthetic another decade back, evoking Psych-shaded 1960s and ’70s Folk. It's not like there weren't warnings — 2’s closing track, “Immediate Undertaking,” significantly reins in the band's pace — but championing this new vision is a striking move. It's indicative of Darker's unwillingness to be affected by claims that they pander to nostalgia; if anything, this move will only exacerbate the issue.
Then again, Darker My Love's foundation is one built on forceful stylistic shifts. Both guitarist/vocalist Tim Presley and former drummer Andy Granelli spent time in The Nerve Agents, a confrontational Hardcore Punk outfit whose sonic angle was worlds removed from Darker’s.
Read Reyan Ali's full interview with vocalist Rob Barbato here and get show and club details.
