Darker My Love

iTunes Review

Los Angeles’ Darker My Love understand that toting a quiver of stomp boxes does not a good band make. Underneath all the complex layers of sonic textures and washed-out guitar swirl thrive actual songs you can hum along with and carry inside your head. “Opening” introduces this self-titled debut with heavy-lidded head nodding, psychedelic drones that recall early Brian Jonestown Massacre and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Dandy Warhols’ first recordings. But hovering slightly above these influences resides the group’s own sound. Darker My Love is not afraid to rock harder than most shoegaze bands (Swervedriver notwithstanding), especially on “What’s a Man’s Paris” which hammers hard like Isn’t Anything-era My Bloody Valentine, but with more of a ‘60s garage sensibility in the reverb-drenched guitars and lysergic lyrics. And rather than just clicking the feedback button like so many of its contemporaries, Darker My Love actually paints lines with squealing distortion, most notably on the hypnotic “Hello Traveler.” The rest of the album sounds like the ‘90s never ended. Here’s looking at shoe, kids!