Review Summary: There's one thing you should know - there's always two ways out.
Contrary to what you may have heard, Darker My Love is not a porno, but a psychedelic bluesy rock band with just a hint of Sabbath that lays down some seriously awesome music. I found 2 a few years back and it’s been one of my favorite albums to come back to since. It never really gets old, and it’s something that really should be explored if you're at all into this sort of thing. 2 is a more refined version of their sound on their S/T album and nothing like the one they went on to release in 2010. I was really disappointed in that one, in my opinion a complete 180 was the last thing they should have done. While they may have fallen into Grateful Dead worship, their start was much more promising, and this follow up's the sweet spot.
The album starts off strong with one of the more straightforward rockers Northern Soul, which lets you know exactly what you’re in for – catchy guitar hooks, upbeat drumming, warm chaotic solos, and of course plenty of fuzz to go around. After a few more hard-hitting and rather traditional psych rock songs, things start changing. The mysterious and jazzy White Composition marks the turning point. This is a good time to point out that the lyrics on this album are totally insane. I have no idea what vocalist Tim Presley is talking about but I can tell you it’s beautiful. The next few songs are more drawn out; with tremendous build ups and more diversity than in the first five. The climax of the album is found in All The Hurry And Wait. If I was to liken the album to an acid trip this would be some sort of crazy epiphany you’d have while peaking. In this case the epiphany is that it’s time to come back to earth and get back to rocking
The distortion and fuzz are turned up to 11 for Waves and Talking Words before leaving us with the final track, Immediate Undertaking. It’s a very unsettling piece. It’s the come-down, the realization that things are getting back to normal and the crazy *** you just heard will not be present in whatever you decide to listen to next.
So while every individual song can stand alone, I have a great deal of appreciation for the structure of this record, and I find it hard to listen to one song without continuing with the rest of the album from then on. It’s a surprisingly accessible and engaging psychedelic experience. I highly recommend you give it a listen.
