Labels: Sheep Chase
Review by: Alex Hannan
DARK TIMES have been attracting attention well outside of the punk scene in their native Norway – this, their debut LP, was nominated for indie record of the year last year in Spellemann, the “Norwegian Grammy”, and also for the capital city’s Osloprisen. (I would hazard a guess this is not quite the same as, say, NO being nominated for a Mercury Prize. I get the impression that in the smaller pool of Norwegian music it’s not that odd for a good indie record to pop up at award level now and then.) Anyway, the LP gives us non-Scandinavians a bigger taste of what they’re about after a couple of EPs: eleven power-trio tracks with guitars that balance fuzzy and buzzsaw textures, saturating the sound.
The songs vary between snotty blasts and more mid-paced anthemic numbers: all share simple power-chord sequences with a tendency to trace open-ended patterns, the occasional melodic solo. DARK TIMES hit a sweet spot when they let the tempo loosen, as on “Feel it”, blissfully stoned-sounding but retaining a strong drive. A touch of MILK MUSIC without the hall-of-mirrors endless guitar lines. On opener “Be cool”, there’s a satisfying feel to the way guitar and bass dance gravely around each other. Are those lyrics – “I’m not trying to be cool / I just don’t wanna see / Your smiling face has turned away / The future’s dead to me” – their justification for wearing sunglasses indoors? Final track “Lies” brings in a darker current. There’s a hint of RUDIMENTARY PENI about the chord sequence and a more gravelly, intense vocal performance, but the repetitiveness doesn’t quite hold my attention.
The faster songs are less distinctive, and perhaps not as well served by the production as the others. The tempo, although not band-in-a-blender speedy, strips out the expressivity found elsewhere. For me, a song like “Control” needs some kind of rhythmic interest or texture contrast as a counterbalance.
The vocals are short-phrased, staccato, roughly melodic. Occasionally this tips into a RAMONES-y cadence, and the stylized feel this brings to “Be cool” transforms the potential catharsis of the lyrics into a distanced recitation, which gives the song an interesting depth. Sometimes AK snarls, mostly she uses a mid-range wail / shout. Occasionally a softer sung tone appears, like in the reflective “Never know.”
The lyrics which jump out on first listen seem quite simplistic, charging social interactions with a turbulent, solipsistic intensity. Lots of “I” versus “you”, semi-opaque interpersonal sentiments concerned with people being fake, labels being bad, disappointment in others. “Take a look at yourself / What do you know? / Your poison attitude / has gotta go / Now take a look at yourself / how can it be? Behind the covers you are just the same as me” runs “Labels”, and from “I see you” – “I see you changing to fit / I see you faking it / What you want / You get it / What you want / You take it / It’s all so easy / Did you ever think what it would be like to be me?” Things get more interesting when you dig deeper into the lyric sheet, unearthing the girl-empowerment message of “Be your own,” the impressionistic alienation of “Never know”, or the acknowledgment of imperfection in “Give”.
DARK TIMES seem more a band reacting earnestly to their immediate surroundings than yet having a wider perspective of their own. Personally, I think it’s more interesting to think about what authenticity means than to talk about fakers, to try to subvert stereotypes rather than just be indignant about them, and not to waste time on people who won’t look past surface traits. So I need a bit more nuance and sarcasm before I sing along. Still, a coherent musical aesthetic, some good songs, and a feisty attitude are all in their favour, and I’d expect them to continue to win over converts with this LP.