After eight years, Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington are thankfully back with a second album. Spiral has similar formulas of electronics, blues and jazz like its predecessor but now with jammier acoustic instrumentation and brighter tones. The results are undoubtedly great.
The music and story of Darkside is hard to describe or decipher. The mysterious duo including critically acclaimed electronic producer/musician Nicolas Jaar and jazz/experimental virtuoso Dave Harrington seemed a bit unlikely at first. Darkside came as a big surprise and instead of relying on their bread and butter of familiar stylings they came up with something new. In 2013, the duo released their debut album Psychic, a record that stuffed abstract electronics, jam rock elements, experimental jazz progressions, and smoky blues rock into one unconventional and unpredictable powerhouse. Including the 11 minute epic "Golden Arrow" and the bluesy grooved "Paper Trails," Psychic became one of the biggest electronic releases of 2013 and of the decade in my opinion. The duo seemed to be unstoppable with the head turning Psychic and were only getting started. Unfortunately and abruptly, the two ended Darkside to continue other endeavors and projects. Jaar continued to release excellent solo albums and projects like the amazing Against All Logic albums while Harrington created avant-garde jazz records with his backing band. Darkside has always been one of my favorite bands over the years and I've always crossed my fingers for another album one day.
Nearly eight years after Psychic, that day has finally come! Darkside come out of the woods mysteriously once again with a new album titled Spiral. Like Psychic, Spiral features unique blends of electronics, jazz, rock and blues. They are ever moving, growing and morphing into a new form as each song progresses. Even after eight years, Darkside sound like they never took a break. Despite the similarities, Spiral is noticeably different. There is much more organic instrumentation than before such as acoustic guitars and percussion along with more prominent vocals from Nicolas Jaar. With singles like "The Limit" and "Liberty Bell," thinking that Spiral would be much more approachable than its predecessor would be an understandable prediction. Despite the simpler, catchier sounding singles, the record itself features sprawling jams that are adventurous and complex often stretching to six or eight minutes in length. The overall vibes too are different with Spiral: it's often sunnier, brighter, more inviting. At least that's the vibe I get when I hear the acoustic instrumentation shining through the trees on "The Question Is to See It All" or the lengthy jammy "Inside Is Out There" which bursts like a sunlit rainbow of color and warmth.
The lead single "Liberty Bell" blew my mind back in December of last year and still does on this album currently. Its heavily hypnotic and catchy groove with the fast paced acoustic guitar strumming is phenomenal and different for Darkside. The acoustic guitar breakdown towards its finale is an amazing finish. The single, although technically released last year, is arguably my favorite song of this year so far. Even though I'm describing sunlit trees and rainbows, there is still dark themes and instrumentals with "Liberty Bell" being one of them. "The Limit" is just as groovy with its head nodding bass and guitar licks. "Narrow Road" is a nice album opener with its clunky, sporadic percussion and glitchy guitars. Another single "Lawmaker" gradually gets bigger and bigger with its bluesy delivery and excellent climax towards its finish. The title track is more slow growing, gradual and patient with its beautifully lush and graceful guitar and vocals. There is more of a jammier approach to these performances and this is described perfectly with "Inside Is Out There," a huge highlight on the record. Like the incredible guitar tones of "Metatron" that remained the perfect album closer on Psychic, "Only Young" closes up Spiral in similar fashion. The guitars towards the finish are glorious and act like a reward for listening all the way through.
Right when the announcement of Spiral came to the public, it was 100% going to be one of my most anticipated albums of 2021. I think it delivered as a proper follow up. Is it as fantastic as Psychic? Although I don't think Spiral is at the same exact level as Psychic, it certainly comes close. It's a great album that is undoubtedly Darkside. The jammier instrumentation, brighter tones, and acoustic instrumentation add more flavors to the Darkside project than expected. Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington took their time and came back with a proper follow up that acts like the Hooch to Tom Hanks' Turner. The duo wouldn't be back if they thought what they came up with wouldn't be as great. Spiral should please the Darkside fans who've been waiting patiently for eight years. Its experimental electronics, jazz, and odd vocals may be hard to swallow for some listeners. But those who have stuck with Jaar and Harrington or are remotely interested in this type of music will not be disappointed.
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Liberty Bell," "Inside Is Out There," "Only Young," "The Limit," "Lawmaker"
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