Fans have been waiting ten long years for Anglo-Australian indie-pop quartet Allo Darlin’ to release new music. Returning for their first shows back in 2023, the release of ‘Bright Nights’ has taken another two agonizing years for fans but, despite the fact that the entire world has moved on in those ten years, when the gentle strum that accompanies opening track “Leaves In The Spring” heralds the start of this album, it sets up fans for a very comforting return.
A nostalgic, familiar sounding effort, ‘Bright Nights’ is an album which finds Allo Darlin’ wrapping a safety net around the listen with their soothing, folky sound. From the moment Elizabeth Morris’ vocals wrap their protective blanket around you, ‘Bright Nights’ will prove itself to be everything Allo Darlin’ fans could have hoped it would be.
Picking through the emotional rollercoaster of the last ten years of their lives, ‘Bright Nights’ explores themes of the heart, love, birth, death and reflection. Songs like the jangly indie-folk of “My Love Will Bring You Home”, a song written by Elizabeth Morris about her youngest daughters, or the nostalgic reflection of “Northern Waters”, make it hard not to get swallowed up by the warmth of ‘Bright Nights’.
Bassist Bill Botting makes his debut songwriting appearance on “You Don’t Think of Me At All”, a more uptempo slice of indie pop wrapped up in themes of heart break and love. The ideal midpoint for the record, it sets ‘Bright Nights’ up for more of the same on the second half of the record.
Hearing Morris sing “The moon tonight is a custard cream and hangs high above the Adriatic Sea…” on “Historic Times” you can’t help but let out a warm sigh as Morris proves time and time again throughout this album that she is an absolute master at penning the kind of lyrical poetry that you find yourself just losing yourself in.
An upbeat “Stars” is followed by the almost sombre calm of “Slow Motion”, another one of those soothing, reflective moments which have littered this album where the music is comforting, the lyrical direction more emotional.
By the time the title track wraps this album up, you’ll be left wondering if the last ten years actually happened. Was there a world without Allo Darlin’? While it would be unfair to say that listening to ‘Bright Nights’, it feels like time has stood still, there is still something of a familiar, comfortable glow around many moments throughout this album. That being said, by injecting ten years of life experiences into their music, Allo Darlin’ have come out of the other side more grown-up, worldly-wise and carrying an album that makes you realise that its good to have them back again.
For more information or to pick up your copy of ‘Bright Nights’ head over to their Official Website.
Comments are closed.