Darkside

Spiral

Harrington and Jaar’s shared longing to propel DARKSIDE forward via more absorbable vocal lines and tantalizing bass grooves is what makes Spiral so admirable. The two could have easily made Psychic 2.0 for a new decade. Instead, they embodied a freeing abandon that birthed an organic, refreshing slow burner of an album, heavy on progressive groove and light on nostalgia.

That’s exactly what Spiral is: an alchemical concoction of beats, textures, sonic flourishes, and melodies that sound like they were recorded in a world that had no precedent.

After an eight year sabbatical, Darkside have crafted another towering, electronically-infused psychedelic masterpiece. It's a wet dream for mood music aficionados, providing a lavish backdrop for moments of deep thought, somber reflection, or even romantic inclination.

Breaking it down into its composite parts is missing the point – Spiral is an album to experience as a whole, to be swallowed in and transported by.

On Spiral, DARKSIDE push their limits while honing the distinctive sound that made the project so singular to begin with.

A mellow and laidback album which gives off similar vibes as Air and John Martyn might, if they’d ever gone into the studio together.

Despite the loose, in-the-moment approach, Spiral flows incredibly well. Darkside perform the high-wire act of making everything feel spontaneous and meticulously planned at the same time.

Spiral is similarly free-standing, forging together Jaar’s trademark austere minimalism and penchant for avant garde abstractions with 70s prog, folk and blues guitar. Yet Spiral is significantly more digestible than its predecessor.

Whatever shape Spiral takes, the result is sublime.

The creatively uninhibited nature of the project meant growth was inevitable between Darkside's debut and their second album, but Spiral's patient approach and controlled subtleties make the album remarkably easy to digest for how much is going on at any given point.

There’s a hallucinatory, almost shamanic energy to Spiral, whether on the choral harmonies of opener Narrow Road, the twang of the sitar on I’m The Echo or the chime of the bell in third single Lawmaker.