Yes, this is sweet candy. Some Midnight Kissin’ (Lujo Records), the first full-length CD from Floridian quintet The Dark Romantics, is likely to feel either illicit or familiar, a guilty pleasure or a foregone conclusion. The Dark Romantics aren’t without a certain experimental element, but they flaunt some of the best hooks in indie-pop.
“So Confused (And We Like It)” sets us up well with its wheezing keyboards. “A Million Bucks” mines a “so-over-this-delicious-hedonism” vibe with vocals and melody like a sexier version of The Cure.
Oddly enough, songwriting team E. Collins and Dean Paul come to The Dark Romantics by way of off-center Christian pop acts Dennison Marrs and the John Ralston Band. “Echoes of the Church” pleases the ear without undermining the band’s originality.
With Paul’s wife, Amanda Jones, adding depth with keyboards, and Collins’s wife, Carla Jones, rooting things from the bottom end, the music is well designed for a dance floor or a cocktail party. Some Midnight Kissin’ manages to be both contemplative and indulgent, and it does so winningly. The Dark Romantics, indeed.
– Lyam White
The Dark Romantics (Lujo Records)