The Don Darlings: S/T

Alleycat Records (ALC048)

 

OK, nothing very psychedelic/spacey or even heavy on this dics, but I’ve still been asked to review it so here it comes. The Don Darlings is a melancholic rock/pop/country band from Sweden. Their music definitely has echoes of Nick Cave, Tom Waits or even Leonard Cohen or Johnny Cash. Dark Southern Americana, they call it. Somehow Berlin was emotionally a very suitable town to record this album that was mixed by Don Alsterberg (Graveyard, Junip).

There are ten original songs on the CD. They include slow, soulful and very melancholic tracks like the opener “Resurrection” that also features violin, “Moonshine Baby” and the last track “Let the River Run”, melodic country rock pieces like “Provide Me with Angel”, “Away from Me”, a bit more energetic and even rather fast, catchy songs like “If You Can Be Good”, “Transcendental Noise”, “Right Side of Murder”, Julius the Misanthrope”. The playing and instrumentation, singing and production are all excellent, and the songs are pretty good in this genre I guess. I’m just not such a big fan of this kind of music. Having said that, if you like the dark side of alternative country music of the musical vibes in movies by Sergio Leone or Quentin Tarantino you will probably enjoy this album. Give it a try!

http://www.thedondarlings.com