Today on the Fresh Tracks circuit: Darling - "Baptists"

Photo credit: https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1534943014_16.jpg

        This has been big in the media circles and I wanted to help share the love for this group. Helmed by Dorthia Cottrell of Windhand, Gina Gleason of Baroness fame, and long time Gleason collaborator Leanne Martz, Darling has released a track titled "Baptists". Any proceeds made from this track will be going to a charitable group through a name-your-price format on Bandcamp.     

        The song starts with Cottrell's haunting vocals singing "I blame the Baptists, our fathers and the law for what's become of you." With the utterance of "our fathers," a pulsing note starts playing on either a highly treated guitar or a synth. Eerie guitar licks start playing over this pulsing series of notes creating a psychedelic experience that is solemn and concerned. At ~1:15 the tone shifts to a lighter and brighter, yet still very psych, tone with the lyrics "But oh, the sun was shining." It's a refreshing change from the darkness of the previous minute and adds some excellent dynamic shading to the song. 

        At ~1:47 we shift again with a raw guitar sound, like someone's ax fell over while it was still plugged into a powered-up amp. The pulsing notes return and the listener is once again washed out to sea in this dark trip, "And now they're scared of me, but who could blame them anyway. It's only natural to distinguish between predator and prey." The narrative this song dances around is cold and gripping, yet full of desire and awareness. Musically the song shifts back to that bright section again at ~3:03, this section seems to be functioning as a chorus. Again, it's a welcome break from the bleakness of the verses. We return to that darkness at 3:38, only it's even more sinister now because the synth-like pulsing has been paired with palm-muted guitar chords that add this heaviness to it. This moment rides out for about a minute to the song's end. 

    

        I hope this track is tied to a larger release because it's a wonderful piece. The evil sounds shaded in with the moments of light and airy brightness creates this intangible feeling of cryptic awareness and despair while never giving you the reason why. Some moments seem to be talking about a tragic passing of someone, but the narrator seems to be/feel responsible, but also is pinning that responsibility to the community at large. I'm hooked and you should check it out today! 

Check out Windhand here.

Check out Baroness here.
Check out Misstallica here, Gleason and Martz most well-known project.