Darker My Love - Alive As You Are

  by Andrew Carver

published: 4 / 9 / 2010

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Darker My Love’s reputation largely rests on a pair of albums that put them at the forefront of the American version of shoegazing as well as psychedelia lovers such as the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Springhouse. From the start of ‘Backseat’ it is, however, pretty clear the band has traded in their shoes for cowboy boots and are following in the footsteps of other modern day psych dealers-turned Flying Burrito fanciers Asteroid No. 4. With its cantering beat, reference to codeine (evocative of original San Francisco country rockers the Charlatans) and guitarwork that ranges from the folksy side of Bob Dylan to lead work that echoes the clean picking of Quicksilver Messenger Services’ John Cippolina, the band has definitely gone west. Not that the band’s Spacemen 3-loving past has been entirely discarded, with the elements of twang in ‘18th Street Shuffle’ well-submerged beneath its fuzz and buzz. For the most part tunes like ‘New America’ and ‘Rain Party’ trade in the distortion and brooding themes for sparkling backing vocals and a more upbeat outlook. The switch has let the band give their skills as song-crafters greater exposure - a tune like ‘Trail the Line’ would do credit to a better Teenage Fanclub album - but may leave some of the group’s earlier admirers feeling ‘Alive As You Are’ is one for the Byrds.

Track Listing:-

1 Backseat
2 Split Minute
3 18th Street Shuffle
4 New America
5 Rain Party
6 Maple Day Getaway
7 Trail The Line
8 June Bloom
9 Dear Author
10 A Lovely Game
11 Cry On Me Woman

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