At some point, Dan Andriano went from “the guy who plays bass in Alkaline Trio”, to one of music’s elder statesmen. It’s difficult to say when this happened, exactly, but he certainly has a well-regarded body of work behind him and now, with his main band in a stasis, he has a new outlet for his creativity. ‘Dear Darkness’ is the first record from this particular group of collaborators – Dan Andriano & The Bygones – and given that it’s already caught the ear of Epitaph Records, Andriano is clearly onto something.
This isn’t Andriano’s first solo project and as such, he knows where his strengths lie and you’ll notice that almost all of his work falls into a certain bracket. When he’s not playing acoustic shows or holding down the bass on the latest Damned Things record, he favours light-rock and the music here has much in common with his other other group, the excellently-named Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room. Here, however, the full-band approach is weightier and more fleshed out while obviously sharing the same DNA. This is an upbeat record and for the most part these ten songs feature all his trademarks; from the familiar construction to his whiskey-smooth singing voice. So, while not being a total reinvention, it has a freshness that’s helped along by the fact it is a very strong set of songs, perhaps the strongest he has released thus far.
If you still need convincing just listen to the title track, a brooding musing on grief presented with charm and grace. These characteristics bleed into the other songs and the charm isn’t lost when the music loosens up, best exemplified on ‘Wrong’ where the piano led intro slides gently into distorted guitars and then into a great big outro. It would be the album highlight if it wasn’t followed by the ironically named ‘The Excess’, which takes things a step further. A glorious rocker, it sounds like everyone involved is having way too much fun, basking in cabaret lounge pianos, a lilting riff and an enormous swaggering solo. It’s slick, knowing and nigh-on scandalous.
Being responsible for Alkaline Trio’s weightier, more contemplative numbers, in many ways Andriano is deemed their secondary songwriter, but dig through their catalogue and you’ll realise he penned some of their strongest work. Here, he revisits that sound on ‘Sea Level’ and ‘It’s a Trap Door!’ just to remind you of his pop-rock credentials. Similarly ‘Narcissus, Amateur Classic Narcissist’ coasts on a vocal ‘ay’ sound, feeling very much like one of his classic works. These songs, however, aren’t offcuts from another album, they belong here and as such, flow together making for a varied and consistent whole.
From the album’s opening notes you’ll notice the clean guitar tone, it sounds excellent, especially the twangy opening riffs of ‘Dear Darkness’ and the ‘The Excess’ where you can almost feel the amp tubes distorting as the strings are struck. In contrast ‘Into Your Dream’ features a slowly strummed atmosphere that wouldn’t feel out of place on Coldplay’s first record, but of course Andriano’s smooth crooning takes the song to a very different place. On a couple of tracks the production does overstretch itself with the many layers of ‘One Minute Wasted’ making it feel a little overstuffed before it’s followed by the reverb-heavy ‘The Rest Of You’ which has soft edges and is dreamier as a result, though neither lose their emotional hook.
All Andriano’s experience is on display here, making for a consistent and quality record. Even something simple like the chord progression stamped out on ‘One Minute Wasted’ is exactly what is needed to make it bold and muscular. While the slower, more intimate ‘You Must Be Cold’ and ‘The Rest Of You’ are hardly pushing his skills they’re far from weak. Instead, they’re assured and hinge on the way he pronounces certain phrases to make their impact. A vein of dry wit and self-awareness also runs through many of the songs, and it’s difficult not to smile at the deliciousness of it.
On ‘Dear Darkness’ Dan Andriano has new backing band, a keen sense of focus and a real sense of fun. Showcasing both the maturity in his songwriting and his playful side it is an intensely likeable record that is a great introduction for newcomers and essential for fans.
IAN KENWORTHY