Dark Days
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The 3rd album from San Antonio’s The Please Help, the 9 well executed tunes here blend their indie, alt-rock and pop ideas into a listen that’s not as gloomy as the title implies.
“Where To Begin” starts the listen with warm melodies and a bit of melancholy buried in the cozy rhythm section and vivid storytelling, and “Just What I Need” follows with a mature brand of indie-rock that benefits much from a cautious mood of mesmerizing song craft.
“Love Song” lands in the middle and does carry an intimate spirit amid the harmonic singing and charming guitar, while “Landslide” is a bit thicker, with plenty of grit amid the alt-rock crunch.
“Stuck In My Head” and “Shine” exit the listen, where the former carries a charming rhythm that is aptly titled, and the latter finishes with optimistic lyrical themes and a nostalgic, smooth version of rock’n’roll.
An album that came with a lot of mental hurdles, Phillip Luna (synth, vocals), Javier Padilla (guitars, synth), Jerry Rincon (bass) and Juan Ramos (drums) pens songs about love, faith and universal topics we can all relate to, and their easy going and timeless demeanor sure does settle in nicely.
Travels well with: Matthew Davies- Skywriter; Stephen Kellogg- Blunderstone Rookery