Opening track Narcissus, Amateur Classic Narcissist ticks over with a metronomic precision you might expect, before Sea Level fittingly lifts you into something more rousing. For these tracks and across what follows, Dan’s vocals are as honeyed as they are familiar, but it takes the minimal, piano-led Wrong to begin to indicate what the intent appears to be behind this record: try something different and follow your muse.
The downside is that several other songs, while not without their charm, sound more like sketches. Also, the inevitable comparisons with his Alkaline Trio output will leave anyone looking for that band’s memorable hooks or switchblade-sharp turns of phrase disappointed. But as a piece of work that started as a one-man garage band, Dear Darkness is still a carefully crafted meditation inspired by what we’ve all just been though.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Alkaline Trio, The Gaslight Anthem, The Lawrence Arms
Dear Darkness is out now via Epitaph