To get basic for a second, its Spooky Szn. And you know what that means. All the vaguely creepy music that we want to love all year just hits different.

One such record is Night Darling’s Buried. This LA act we included in bands to watch feature literally on whim (no really, we found their Instagram, saw they were well connected locally, and made a bet). That bet seems to have paid off, as Buried emerged as a dark horse record of 2022 for me earlier this year.

I first really gave Buried a proper listen in the late summer months when I went on a driving trip to Northern Indiana on business. While it could be argued that region is its own brand of spooky (don’t come after me for that horrible joke, Nat) this velvety smooth LA act is just hitting me in a whole new way on this grey October afternoon.

How would I define the sound of Night Darling? It’s really in the name of the band. Its a little mysterious, yet tender. Darkpop feels too simple to describe. Imagine if you took a gothic Copeland, Lorde, added a ton of synths, and added a stipulation that they write all their songs under cover of darkness in a basement in a vaguely bougie neighborhood. The resulting production is 90% class and 10% abrasiveness. Buttoned up with some grit. I personally identify with that vibe.

“See the Night” and “Sheriff’s Ballad” are two songs that are immediately compelling, though the flow and song order is clearly deliberate and immaculate. “Move along baby, nothing to see; its the empty space between you and me” they croon on the latter. As someone currently dating long distance that line felt a little more real than I wanted it to. But the production is so friggin’ cool its easier for me to overcome the feels and just enjoy the track.

“Effigies” is another highlight. Heavy on the goth influence (though can you really be surprise with a title like that?), the song grooves and it makes me think of late nights at Audiofeed Festival with Insomniac Folklore and Leper. Probably not the train of thought a polished LA act like Night Darling would expect, but here we are.

Oh, I miss the days of being young and inexperienced when I could just ignore heavy lyrics and enjoy the beats! That’s a good problem to have though, I suppose. Kudos to Night Darling for making me appreciate this evolution within myself.

Night Darling, come to Ohio and let’s book a show at Spacebar or Double Happiness. See ya soon!

Follow the band on Instagram.