Brooklyn-based alt-rockers Decades Late channel a love of ’90s guitar-driven music into Dark Is The Light, Pt. 1, a four-song EP that balances jangly hooks with psychedelic, shoegaze, and heavier alternative-rock textures. Recorded live at Vinegar Hill Sound in Brooklyn with producer Reed Black, the release captures the chemistry of a band whose members bring extensive experience from other projects into a shared, modern interpretation of guitar-driven rock.
Kicking off the EP with a timeless rock character, “Quantum Run” moves quickly from psych-friendly jangling into a soaring, bluesy guitar twanginess. “As I stare into the sun, sometimes I feel I’m on the run, despite the pull of gravity,” Andre Haroche’s delivery lets out, striving to “change the frequency” in the face of personal tumult, which is “stalling my trajectory.” It’s a relatable rocker with plenty of heart. The ensuing “Here & There” compels as well, showcasing a push-and-tug within a relationship, where hazy guitar strums and plucky tones pair with a reassuring “I’m gonna end up somewhere” lyrical ethos, reminding of the capabilities of one’s independence even when presented with limitations.
Next up, “Broken Light” delights in its nifty guitar stylings, reminiscent of Dire Straits as the lead phrasing expands to the “tears run dry tonight” emotiveness. Themes of personal clarity and a will to live compel here, with the clap-laden rhythms in the title-centric chorus bolstering the mix well. EP finale “Vedic Dream” is another showcase in momentum-filled songwriting, growing from harmonious lead resonance and mellow rock into a rollicking rock force, expanding in the “cosmic rhythm that we breathe” line as psych-ready guitar bursts move in. Strutting a timeless rock appeal, Dark Is The Light, Pt. 1 is a stirring success of an EP from Decades Late.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
