‘Dark Tides’ from Double Yellow is a hauntingly immersive alt rock track!
Dave “Double Yellow” Lilley is a Manchester-based artist who makes a stirring return as an independent artist post the release of ‘Life In The Slow Lane’ back in 2012, with the release of his latest single ‘Dark Tides.’
Listening to this feels like a fresh Radiohead track featuring Porcupine Tree. Dreamy electro-pop atmospherics, despairing, melancholic vocals and sweeping prog rock harmonies warrant such lofty comparisons. Listening to this feels like it’s played in front of a dark, stormy ocean, as you’re looking out for sailors stuck in the unforgiving ocean tides, still traversing the deadly seas, desperate to find a way back to shore.
‘Dark Tides’ opens without a moment’s waste onto grave guitar tones and Dave’s pleading vocals, ‘Please keep us safe tonight when the dark tides are rolling in upon the shore…’. That launches the opening verse. Hypnotizing, dark and eerie is Dave’s vocal delivery, suggesting themes of inner turmoil, obsession and melancholy. The choral backing vocals only amplify and build tension as we flow into the bridge section.
That tension crescendos and breaks onto a stirring, psychedelic electro-rock section; shimmering guitar licks and cosmic synths weave and converge while a tight drum and bass line holds the tempo.
‘Dark Tides’ displays remarkable musicianship and coherence. The production is sharp and precise in a way that allows Dave’s dreamy vocals to have their desired disorienting effect. Over its almost 4-minute runtime, the track takes you quite the rollercoaster sonic journey and concludes gently onto fading guitars.
This is a track built for immersive listening and is sure to resonate with intelligent prog rock listeners!
