Those Darlins – Blur The Line

What really struck me about my introduction to Those Darlins – their last record, Screws Get Loose – was the bizarre mish-mash of styles that the album represented. It was a record that, taken at face value, breezed by unremarkably, and that in itself was noteworthy; it’s not too often you hear an album that actually sounds like less than the sum of its parts. It’s like somebody took the sun-kissed guitars that characterise Best Coast or Wavves and infused it with a rockabilly sensibility that ultimately didn’t prove very complementary. The back and forth between male and female vocals and occasional nods to punkier territory didn’t make things any more straightforward.

With Blur the Line, they’re back older, wiser and considerably less safe for work; the cover art (that’s the band themselves up there, by the way) has already been accompanied by two risqué videos, including one for opener “Oh God”. It’s an intriguing way to kick things off; a real slow burner, with wistful vocals and a guitar solo that goes unchecked for a good minute and a half. This more ambitious guitar work is a common theme throughout, with “In the Wilderness” marrying its fierce vocals with reverb-laden fretwork and “She Blows”, rather incongruously, gives way to a furious riff for the bridge. It all serves as evidence, though, of a real shift in attitude; on the whole, Those Darlins seem to have found their teeth.

It’s harder and faster, sure, but whether Blur the Line is better and stronger than its predecessors is another matter entirely. There’s still signs of them slipping back into being their lackadaisical old selves – the tedious “Western Sky” is a case in point – and while the singer switching between Jessi Zazu and Nikki Kvarnes is generally handled far less jarringly than on Screws Get Loose, attempts at group vocals fall flat every time – see the aforementioned “Sky” and “Ain’t Afraid”.

There is, though, plenty to admire. I can’t imagine I’d have placed, prior to hearing this record, Those Darlins particularly highly on a list of bands that I thought would sound better for it if they tapped into a more aggressive vein, but it suits them disarmingly well; the breathless buzz of “Optimist” and “Drive” provides a thrilling midpoint, while “In the Wilderness” is the stormy standout. They’ve clearly come to appreciate that less can so often be more when it comes to the guitar, and they prove, time and again, how adept they are at letting it drop out for a little while, pushing the vocals to the forefront, and then bringing it back in suddenly, startlingly, to impressive effect. It’s their own subtle take on the age-old, Pixies-patented loud-quiet-loud dynamic, and it’s the strongest weapon in their arsenal, so much more engaging than the one-track, alt-country sound that’s dominated their older efforts.

Blur the Line is nothing like perfect, but it’s a record scored through with an impressively quick progression; not only have Those Darlins matured musically over the past couple of years, they’ve found something they’d sorely lacked to this point – bite.