Boston Band Crush

Darlingside is playing, well, in February at a bunch of places. But they are playing because they are releasing new music, and we love that. So we’re going to give you a week or so to get psyched and follow them (in a non-creepy way) to NYC and wherever the hell else they are playing. How do we do that? Why, by sharing with you some of that new music that they shared with us. No wonder they call them “Darlingside.” 

Band Name – “Song Title”

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[Download It!]

Personal anecdote time. I was in The Gap at the Burlington Mall, and I remember this song coming on the speaker system. It had a smooth vocal over a fairly raucous (or rock-ous) beat and guitar. That band was Rooney. Now it is worth noting I don’t hear much in the way of “current music” outside of you people. So, if not for that trip to the Burlington Mall, I would have heard Darlingside first and then, hearing Rooney, I’d be all “Say, this ‘Rooney’ outfit reminds me of Darlingside.” And I would have good reason.

Darlingside’s vocals are smooth and overly melodic. Each note and change and twist and turn and interval is perfectly fitted to every other one of those things. They all fit in with their neighbors, without the houses all looking exactly the same. Darlingside’s neighborhood is sunny and pleasant; with finely manicured lawns, a few nice swoops in the always-clean street, and an ice cream man who drives through after dinner. “Still” is a highly satisfying listen from start to finish, with a strong confident beat and enough musical hookery to set into your ear just so.

Darlingside’s performance is top notch, and it comes as an extension of their composition. Usually, these two things come as separate, “either-or” entities, but Darlingside wraps the whole thing up in a neat package with “Still.” This is clearly the sound of a band hitting it and hitting it right, mixing up the dynamics with a suave prechorus that slides down the melody like firepole, only to joyride around the block in the fire engine – and they invite us all along.

Want to submit your band’s song to C.D. On Songs?
To be reviewed in a C.D. On Songs column, please:
*Be a Boston-based band/artist.
*Email a single mp3/m4a/etc. (or a download link to one) to cdonsongs (at) gmail (dot) com, with the subject line “C.D. on Songs” (DO NOT send us a bunch of songs and make us pick, we will ignore you). We require a file – not a streaming link.
*Include album cover art if you have any. If you don’t, a band photo or logo is acceptable.
*Tell us when you want to see it! Give us the date of your show and we’ll make sure it runs as close as possible to that day. No kidding.

We will assume that we have your permission to make the song downloadable on Boston Band Crush (readers will want to hear it, after all). If that’s not ok with you, say so and provide us with a link to the song on an embeddable player like ReverbNation – something we can include in the post (and not just link to).

Related posts:

1. C.D. On Songs: Darlingside – "The Catbird Seat
2. C.D. on Songs: Dirt Mall – "I Am the One and Only"
3. C.D. On Songs: iLa Mawana – "Heaven’s Beach"
4. C.D. On Songs: Gabe Goodman // "Midnight Sour"
5. C.D. On Songs: Ashpark – "The Riddle"