Darker My Love: Alive As You Are

If the band name raises eyebrows, it's worth knowing that Darker My Love's Tim Presley named his group after a song by 80s US goth-punks TSOL a lifetime ago. You'd be hard pressed to hear the influence here, however. DML's extremely pleasant third album is an unexpected curio – a psychedelic record with great affection for the Byrds and the Beatles, but played with the discipline and pithiness of former punks. Songs such as "18th Street Shuffle" evince a little glam too, making for a beguiling period piece that never fully commits to wearing paisley.