Arriving with album number seven, Seattle native, and now Portland local, Darksoft delivers another helping of delightful dream pop on Rationalism. Less than one year after his last album, Relativism, Darksoft is back with a much darker companion piece and what feels like his most complete offering yet. From the jangly guitars on the opener Devils In The Details, to the dirge-like momentum of Out Of Sight Out Of Mind, Rationalism creates a full experience. It imparts to the listener that rare feeling found in any good piece of art. Inspiration.
This record captures an impressive balance between color and darkness and energy and relaxation. Rationalism is moody, perpetual, daydreamy, and dark. At times reliving the feelings I had in High school when the “Dark Indie” scene caught fire momentarily with bands like The Arctic Monkeys or The Neighbourhood. Not that this Darksoft necessarily emulates these but there is something drab but fulfilling that these two share. Especially in regards to its carefully crafted soundscape which nails its dark modulation-heavy disposition.
As any Darksoft fan would guess, the backbone of this album is his incredibly pleasing guitar lines. They are found all over the album, often paired with synth doubles that help round out the vibrant melodies. Paired with a solid foundation of drums and bass that allow these lead melodies to come to the forefront of the songs. If the rhythm section is black and white, the guitars form the bright yellows and greens, while the vocals fill a sort of nebulous metallic purple between the two. Darksoft’s voice sounds like dragging a knife through digital butter. At times an analog drone, like in Devils In The Details. While at others he can shine through the effects rig with a fully human voice with all the emotive characteristics you could ask for, see Some Things You Just Know.
Opening with a chime of melancholy, the second track, After All, is an immediate grabber due to its legendary riff resting, soft as a cloud, on a bed of pumping drums. Darksoft demonstrates his ability to execute one of the most difficult tasks in the genre, which is properly marrying the feeling of soothing ear candy with the momentum born of real energy. This is found all through the album, especially on the songs Some Things You Just Know, and No One Knows. On Rationalism, Darksoft is at his best, clearly playing to his strengths and showcasing standouts not just for this album but for himself as a songwriter. Mixing the sounds of New Wave, with clear inspirations from Grunge, this album draws similarities to bands like Turnover and Heavensward, or really anything Katmin Mohager has done, The Chain Gang of 1974, Teenage Wrist.
Some Things You Just Know is probably my favorite on the record, but it’s a close tie. On every listen, I keep getting pulled in every direction as to what song grabs me more. But, I believe that this song displays Darksoft at his strongest, and most importantly serves as a good demonstration of what this album offers. It’s an absolute banger that displays his vocal flexibility and penchant for writing incredibly memorable vocal lines over a bouquet of colorful guitars and relentless rhythms. This would be the song to listen to as a litmus test for the album. If you like this song, you will like the album.
Following up, Everything Else is one of those quintessential dream pop songs that lets you soak into the summer sun. He makes these songs feel so effortless, as if they just fell out of his head on a sunny morning, fully formed. With a chorus so simple and captivating you can’t help but find yourself repeating in your head the rest of the day. It feels impossibly light, serving as a nice break from some of the moodier pieces on display.
Better Late Than Never is another standout for me, marking a shift into warm distortion and sparse, reverb-heavy drums. As a consistent strum grounds the song, Darksoft’s smooth delivery takes center stage as it builds up with crashing cymbals while the song’s namesake is pleasantly drilled into your skull. This track achieves an impressive sense of weight over its sub-3-minute run time, feeling like a resigned catchphrase from a deathbed speaker. Their eyes drift upward to the stars and their final thoughts are filled with perpetual arpeggios, as if exploring all the worlds they never had the chance to. Following this is an energetic duet with Hannah Hoffman of Dutch Experts fame. No One Knows details a strained relationship between the speaker and the subject. An everlasting hope for change from someone who is truly incapable of it. A feeling that is impossible to decouple from our current crises.
The album’s magnificent closer, Out Of Sight Out Of Mind, is one of the few moments on the album that gets really pensive. Leading with a lower emulation of the main riff from No One Knows, and coming in at 3 minutes for a mood that could last for hours. The sparse lyrics read: “Buried in oblivion, Lost but not forgotten” until the final mantra of the album “Gone but not forgotten”, floats out into a digital sea as the record ends. Somehow after spending a full 35 minutes in the Darksoft’s world, this still somehow feels like an abrupt end. By cultivating a scene so perpetual and consistent, the final track leaves the listener with a heavy sense of longing. It was a journey through this world not a stay in it, and just as the song teaches us. It may be gone, but it’s not forgotten.
Written by Lando Flakes
