Lately, I have found myself reminiscing about “the good ol’ days” of ’90s music. Seriously, what happened to that stuff? I miss Blind Melon’s tap dancing bee girl, Adam Duritz’s dreadlocks (although he probably still has them, it’s just gross at this point), and Dolores O’Riordan’s Irish yodel. I know I’m not the only one: my friends are having a similar case of nostalgia for their teenage years.
For example, my husband just asked me to put together a strictly ’90s playlist on his iPod, full of Pavement and Nirvana and The Beastie Boys. Two weeks ago, my friend Courtney hosted a ’90s-themed birthday party (sort of…but the most important thing to know is that only ’90s-era music was played). A bunch of people I know (including me) just caught Pearl Jam live in concert and was blown away by Eddie Vedder’s energetic (and flexible) stage antics.
Well, good news all around, folks. The Los Angeles based quintet, Darker My Love, totally takes us back to that decade, with a classic, straightforward sound that ignores indie rock’s current lo-fi fad and strips away the shoegaze trend. Yes, this sounds like something we haven’t heard in awhile: straight up rock ‘n’ roll.
Don’t get me wrong: it’s not all fun and games. Darker My Love’s lyrics are honest and emotional; they really mean something, they tell true stories of heartbreak and tragedy. But in a world where everything old becomes new again, the band’s sound on the upcoming Alive As You Are, particularly the lead single “Dear Author,” has cycled back to that decade where music was real, raw, and gimmick-free.
Alive As You Are comes out August 17, 2010 on Dangerbird Records. The band will start a six-date run opening for Band of Horses overseas and is expected to announce details of a national headlining tour very soon.