Allo Darlin' – Bright Nights
While the DNA of their earlier work is still on show across Bright Nights, the landscape has changed for London-based indie-pop group Allo Darlin'
Bright Nights from Allo Darlin' picks up where the jangly noughties group left off over a decade ago, but this time with a more grown-up folksy glow. Fans of the London-based indie-pop group, led by Elizabeth Morris, will find lots to enjoy in this new collection. The sparkly soft DNA of their early work is still on display, but the landscape has changed. Songs about crushes, postcards and kissing have made way for the domestic sphere: babies in the backseat, shared kitchens, the tender safety of a long-term relationship.
Northern Waters moves like a daydream, slipping between musical memory ('Play your mandolin for me / The sweetness of music is mine / And I will love you till the end of time') and the homely present – where children are drifting off to sleep. There’s a steady optimism to the record, conjuring the sunny relief of springtime explored on lead single Tricky Questions. That is why You Don’t Think of Me At All, the first track written for Allo Darlin’ by bassist Bill Botting stands apart; its resigned melancholy gives the record a welcome jolt.
Bright Nights is a soft-focus portrait of love through the years, from the youthful wonder of possibility, to heartbreak, to deep life-long companionship.
Listen to: Northern Waters, You Don't Think of Me At All, Tricky Questions