A lot has changed for
Darker My Love in the time since they released
2. Most notably, the band experienced the loss of founding member Andy Granelli (who left the band to focus on his family), while
Tim Presley dealt with the loss of his father. With so much happening in and around
Darker My Love, it’s no surprise that their third album,
Alive as You Are, marks a stylistic shift, finding them moving away from their dark and murky sound to lighter, more psych-folk-oriented territories. Given the change to the band's sound, it feels like more than a coincidence that Granelli was replaced by
Brian Jonestown Massacre drummer Dan Allaire. More
Beatles/
Dylan than
My Bloody Valentine,
Alive as You Are is an album that’s more about being listened to than just felt. With layers of vocal and guitar melodies at work, songs like “Trail the Line” and “Dear Author” have a carefully constructed depth that feels more intricate than
2’s thick fuzz was able to produce. This kind of precision helps to give you the feeling that this is an album that was written and not just jammed out, allowing you to feel the hand of its creator and to appreciate the songcraft at work here. While fans of
Darker My Love’s earlier albums may be a bit put off by this sudden sea change,
Alive as You Are marks a pleasant sonic shift for the band, offering anyone willing to listen a love letter to San Francisco’s psych-pop past and the sounds of the paisley underground. ~ Gregory Heaney