New Jersey alternative rock outfit Deardarkhead presents ‘In Another Life’, their second offering from ‘The Pendulum Swings’, – their first full-length album in 25 years. Balancing tension between crystalline guitar arpeggios, a wall of fuzzed out tremolo, and melodic baselines, the band concocts an introspective atmosphere about what could have been.
Built around soaring guitar leads and melodic bass hooks, this follows the lead track ‘Letting Go’. A song about growth and change, centered on releasing old patterns and embracing new directions, this track features keyboardist Joe McGinty, known for his work with The Psychedelic Furs, Nada Surf, Ryan Adams and Deborah Harry, adding additional layers of atmosphere and texture.
Now made up of guitarist Kevin Harrington, drummer Robert Weiss and bassist James Malizia, who recently replaced Brandon Howard following the recording of this album. Deardarkhead has built a distinctive identity since the departure of vocalist-bassist Michael Amper in 2009, shifting fully into instrumental composition where melody and texture take the place of vocals.
With many notable milestones over their nearly four decades, including shows with the likes of Supergrass, The Psychedelic Furs, Everclear, Nothing and The Lilys, the new album captures an ever-evolving band, refining their voice through texture, atmosphere, and emotional momentum.
Taking their name from the 1867 Irish poem “Cean Dubh Dilis” by Samuel Ferguson — a work about a beautiful dark-haired girl — Deardarkhead was formed in 1988 in the Atlantic City, New Jersey area. Their identity rooted as much in mood as in melody, their music blends atmospheric dreampop, shoegaze shimmer and ethereal rock, unfolding as an original, guitar-driven psychedelic tightrope walk balancing moody textures and shimmering melodies.
Drummer, Robert Weiss was particularly inspired by sitar music for the rhythmic droning lead sections while writing the song. He shares, “‘In Another Life’ is about the choices you didn’t make which still haunt you to some degree. The what ifs we all think about, but ultimately have no real impact. There’s no way of knowing where a different path would have lead, so you can’t be too bothered about it. One must live in the present.”
Deardarkhead’s sixth recording and second full-length album, ‘The Pendulum Swings’ captures a period of renewed experimentation and refinement. Recorded at Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, they worked with producers Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten) and Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Blonde Redhead, Beach House, M83, Wild Nothing).
Across ten instrumental tracks, the record moves through shifting moods ranging from soaring, psychedelic-tinged guitar anthems to driving post-punk rhythms and more ambient, abstract passages. The result is a dynamic and cohesive work that highlights the band’s signature blend of shimmering guitars, pulsing bass, and powerful percussion. The band pushes the envelope with their instrumental approach, using drum loops, unusual time signatures, ebow, bass VI, and expanded guitar layering.
Deardarkhead has released five recordings via Fertile Crescent Records, beginning with their 1998 debut album ‘Unlock the Valves of Feeling’, and featured on numerous US and Japanese indie compilations. In 2011, Captured Tracks released ‘Oceanside: 1991-1993’, a retrospective of their early material (and second released in their Shoegaze Archives series). They then joined iconic label Saint Marie Records in 2015, releasing their critically-acclaimed ‘Strange Weather’ EP with them in 2016.
As of June 9, ‘In Another Life’ is available from music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Now available for pre-order, ‘The Pendulum Swings’ album will be released on CD, digitally, and on 180-gram vinyl on July 10.
CREDITS
Written by Robert Weiss & Kevin Harrington
Kevin Harrington – guitars (all tracks) and bass VI, ebow & bass (track 10)
Robert Weiss – drums & percussion
Brandon Howard – bass (tracks 1-9)
Joe McGinty – keyboards (track 6)
Recorded at Miner Street Recordings, Philadelphia, PA
Produced, engineered & mixed by Brian McTear & Amy Morrissey
Mastered by Joe Lambert
Cover photography & design by Robert Weiss
Video directed and edited by William Murray
Band photos by Mike Maney & Rob Weiss
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR