Darko: Sea of Trees

Artist: Darko
Title: Sea of Trees
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Released: 8th September 2014
Reviewed By: Ben Chapman

Surrey quintet Darko speedily dispel any question of their cosy suburban roots infringing on any authenticity, wasting no time in letting the music decide in five quick and reasoned aural pokes to the pressure points of scepticism.

Prologue (A Voice Unheard) sounds out exactly as it says on the tin. The half minute of washy chords, steady counterpoint bass, and throaty sensitivity of the vocals makes for a gently nostalgic introduction into second track Canthus Viewpoints with good effect. There's a tasty pace to everything, contrasts between blindingly technical scale-orientated riffs and those sloppier thrashing moments where the band plays a bit more loosely for more emotional effect.

The more riffy sections show off the music's slight metal leanings, there's a garage rock sort of hair-metal bravado to its delivery that's sort of like the thing a Pulled Apart By Horses song might base itself upon, while the swift skill that they churn it out with sounds like a less heavy Protest the Hero. Dodgy near-impossible comparisons aside, what's impressive here is that it manages to sound relevant amongst the classic punk-rock rapidity of the drumming and upbeat bounce of the bassline. The track's solid presentation of chorus and verse isn't enough for Darko. An entertaining bass solo leads into a series of riffing digressions, the waywardness fitting smoothly into the rest of the tune's feel, before returning to a consistent ending of distant chants and what the band have quickly established as their typical energetic shredding with a pogo-friendly skate-punk edge.

In Atlas To Atlantis the trebly guitar tone and harmonic qualities may remind listeners of Funeral For A Friend, along with the relentless smash of the snare drum and ascending strumming before a run of catchy dual harmony vocal lines that displays depth to the music. Hanging Off A Memory’s titular refrain is driven by a dancey drum beat that doesn't diminish the hardcore shouting in another track that proves Darko are comfortable with displaying their re-interpretation of a wide range of musical influences.

Look out for the cacophonous sweeping of the guitar around two minutes into Timepieces and Lock Shaped Hearts, where the almost overly-flashy cheesiness is swirled into a more subtly emotive background of heartfelt vocals and chugging chord progressions.

Seaward closes the EP as one of the most technically swift as well as complex tracks, topped off with a crushing heaviness to some of the slower sections. On the 8th of September, Sea of Trees’ saturated proof of Darko's powerful melodic approach will ensure widespread anticipation for the EP’s future follow up and incorporation into a full length album.