More often than not, crossing pop with rock or punk is a recipe for diluted radio-friendly crap for kids. On 'Dying to Confess' In Darklight have succeeded in creating what is, in the main, a rock album that's infused with a keen pop sensibility to unusual success. That isn't to say it's a straight rock album or entirely successful: anthemic ballad 'Turn into Somebody Else' is all too obvious, overly long and is lamentably weak, while the heavily processed 'In Control (Of Not Being in Control)' is a little close to a punked-up Babylon Zoo to be any cop.
However, what 'Dying to Confess' does capture is the band's sense of musical ambition and their willingness to experiment with different elements, not to mention a knack for big hooks that ride on a buzz of driving guitars. The harmony-laden melody of 'Leave Me Here' has an almost Beatles-like quality, while 'The Human Race' has melody, harmony and hooksgalore atop a solid guitar and surround-sound production. Elsewhere, 'Surface' has both bombast and depth, not to mention a certain amount of beef.
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When all is said and done - despite the awful cover - it's a pretty decent album with enough going for it to deserve some attention.
In Darklight on MySpace
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